Leading Man
by Rescuemama2007
Summary: Will is a junior music theatre major at Salem U and student director of the spring musical. Sonny is a senior soccer star and class vice-president. Normally their worlds wouldn't collide, but that changes when Sonny loses a bet and has to try out for the show. But things don't go as expected. Is he actually good enough to get a part? Does he have what it takes to be a leading man?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Totally new story. I had to step away from the current storyline and create my own. I guess it's sort of WilSon meets Glee. ;) I'd love to hear from you, so reviews are much appreciated. Thank you for reading!_

* * *

He had gotten involved with this whole thing because of a stupid bet. And now, two weeks later, he was on the cast list. And not just anywhere on the list, he was right up at the top next to one of the leading male roles. A _singing_ male role. But there it was - next to the part of Nathan Detroit appeared his name, Sonny Kiriakis, and no matter how many times he stared at the posting, it never changed. He was chosen, out of a least a dozen other men who auditioned, to be one of the leads in Salem U's spring musical, "Guys and Dolls".

Sonny must have been standing there for at least 5 minutes still staring at the list, when the student director, Will Horton, came up beside him. Sonny glanced over and nodded to the blonde next to him. He recognized him from auditions.

"Congratulations," Will said to him without much enthusiasm.

"Uh…thanks, man." Sonny stammered and shifted from foot to foot nervously. "I didn't actually expect to get this part. Any part."

"Honestly," the blonde looked at him, meeting his eyes directly, "I didn't expect you to either." There was not a trace of humor in his statement, and Sonny got the distinct feeling that maybe Will was not on board with whomever decided to cast him in the show. Sonny opened his mouth to say something, maybe to express gratitude or insecurity, and then stopped, leaving it hang open like a fish on a hook. When he still couldn't speak after a minute, the guy rolled his eyes, turned on his heels and walked off.

"Great," Sonny mumbled to himself angrily. "I'm off to a fan-frickin-tastic start."

* * *

**::One Month Ago::**

Sonny was in the showers in the locker room after a hard-fought soccer game. Like he usually was after winning, Sonny was feeling over-confidant and acting rather cocky. He was singing, at the top of his lungs, "We are the Champions", using his shampoo bottle as a microphone.

"Shut up, Kiriakis!" Mark shouted in an attempt to yell over Sonny. "Just stop the singing! You're hurting my ears. What do you think this is frickin' American Idol?"

"What's wrong with you, man?" Peter was standing right next to him and shook his head in confusion. "You're acting all pissed off. We DID win the game, you know."

"I know we won the game, asshole. I'm just not crazy about how ball-hog over there scored the last goal. He practically took it from his own teammate."

"Dude, I think you're jealous. Clearly Adam passed the ball to Sonny knowing he had a better look at the goal."

"Whatever," he concluded lamely, "I just don't get what all the hype is about. Yeah, he's a good player, but is he that good that he always gets the winning score?"

"I like to think I'm pretty good," Sonny interjected, now standing outside the showers, towel wrapped around his waist, just within earshot of Mark and Peter's conversation. "The coaches seem to think so, too." He didn't say this to be mean; he said it to be honest. Sonny was really the best player on the team, and quite frankly, he couldn't help it if he was the only one coach trusted with the game-winning shot.

"_Pretty_ good," Mark muttered under his breath not sure if he wanted Sonny to hear him or not.

"I don't like what you're insinuating," Sonny looked at him sternly. Sonny was gay, and he had been out since he started college. But his talent didn't gain him any friends, in fact, he had critics everywhere. He could handle getting challenged about his playing skills, but he never tolerated anyone challenging his, or anybody's sexual orientation.

"No, that's not what I meant, man," Mark recovered quickly.

Sonny gave him the benefit of the doubt. "So, then are you saying you think you're a better player than I am?"

"Maybe I am." The rest of the team had all now turned off the showers so they could hear this exchange.

"I admire your confidence, Mark," Sonny said genuinely. "How about we have a little friendly competition – a bet? What do you think? A little one on one until the first scores 10 goals?"

Sonny was a fantastic shot. He was also wily and quick and almost always blew away the competition whenever the team had one-on-ones. But Mark was pretty good, too, and he felt like he hadn't even come close to showing the coaches all he could do.

"You're on. So, what does the winner get? Besides bragging rights?"

Sonny stood still for a moment, deep in thought. Some of their teammates were murmuring to each other, whispering ideas of possible prizes and punishment. "I know. If I win, for the next month, anytime me or one of the guys has to run laps or do push-ups, you do them for us." This elicited a chorus of "oohs" and "yeahs" from his teammates.

"Coach will never go for that," Mark said before thinking. Of course they'll go for it if their star player says so.

Sonny just stood there smirking, knowing that what was going on in Mark's mind was circulating in everyone else's mind as well. "Okay, fine. I'll do laps and push-ups for the team for the next month. Now what do you have to do if I win?"

Sonny shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I chose your punishment, so you choose mine."

Everyone stood in silence as Sonny and Mark held their stare down. Mark's eyes suddenly lit up. "I've got it. If I win, you have to audition for the spring musical."

"That's lame," Peter chimed in making his feelings known.

"Really?" questioned Mark. "Sonny will have to get up on stage alone, sing, dance and read a part from the script for everyone – meaning the whole team – to see. Does that still sound lame to you?" Peter clamped his mouth shut tightly.

The prospect actually made Sonny a little nervous. Sure, he could sing and act up in front of the guys, but he never did it seriously in front of anyone else. What if Mark actually wins? The idea was far-fetched. Mark had never beaten him before. Sonny quickly pushed the thought from his mind and stuck his hand out aggressively. "Deal."

**::Two Weeks Ago::**

"Shit!" Sonny cursed to himself as he paced in the hallway outside the theatre. "Why did I ever accept that bet? Because I never thought he would beat me," Sonny answered his own question. Mark and Sonny had pretty much been tied the entire time until Mark made an incredible block and the ball just missed the net. Sonny was relentless in his efforts to keep Mark from making the winning goal, and he did so successfully for about a half hour. Then Mark faked to the right, went left, with Sonny anticipating and already left, and with lightning speed Mark shifted back right and took the open shot. 10 to 9.

Sonny was a good sport about it then, joking and laughing it off with all the guys. Now he was freaking out, scared shitless about having to audition. He was so close to backing out. But he knew if he did, he'd never hear the end of it, so he was going to suck it up and do it. It would be quick in and out, sing "happy birthday", learn a few dance moves and then maybe have to read a few lines. His teammates and the rest of the onlookers would laugh at him. Then it would be over and he'd be free to go. He held up his end of the bargain.

Except that wasn't how it went at all.

As Sonny climbed the set of black stairs to the stage, his rowdy friends whooped and hollered from the audience. "Your name, please," said a voice in the darkness.

"Sonny Kiriakis."

A tall man with a red beard and hipster glasses walked out from the shadows and into one of the aisles. "I haven't seen you here before."

"Ummm, nope, ummm, I've never auditioned before." To which some of the guys responded supportively, "Go Sonny!"

Mr. Red Beard turned to glare at the obnoxious crew near the back of the theatre trying to remain hidden. Facing Sonny again, "I take it they are your friends?" Sonny just nodded. "Please have them keep quiet then or they will have to leave." Sonny pointed out to them and they hushed quickly. They would never miss a chance to see their friend, soccer star, Sonny, make a fool of himself auditioning for the school's musical.

"What are you going to sing for us? Do you need an accompanist?" The blonde in the front asked. He also wore hipster glasses and was taking down notes. When Sonny didn't understand what "accompanist" meant, the blonde pointed to the woman sitting at the piano.

"No, I am singing happy birthday. I don't need her to play along."

"I'm Dr. Brinkmeyer, professor and director, and this is Will Horton, he's a theatre major and the student director for this show. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

Sonny shook his head silently.

"Okay, let's begin." And Sonny watched as student and professor exchanged an amused and skeptical glance.

Sonny wrung his hands together and cleared his throat a few times. He started singing so quietly that no one could hear. "We need you to be much louder," Will said slightly perturbed.

"Sorry, okay." One more "ahem" and Sonny started again. "Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you…."

Professor and student exchanged another look but now it was one of sheer surprise. The guy could sing. And he was pretty darn good. Sonny's voice was strong and pure, unfettered by needless vibrato, and he held his pitch well.

"….happy birthday Dr. Brinkmeyer….happy birthday to you." Sonny finished to polite applause.

"You are decent, Sonny, you have a nice voice. Do you know that? Do you have any theatre experience?" Dr. Brinkmeyer inquired.

"No, ah, I sing in the car and in the locker room, in fact I drive all the guys crazy with it," which solicited a variety of comments from said guys.

"Well, Sonny, I have to say that I'm impressed. So, why don't you grab your script and…"

"Script?" Sonny interrupted, flustered, "I don't have one. Was I supposed to bring one?"

"No," Dr. Brinkmeyer chuckled, "we provide the script for you. Will, can you give Sonny a script please?" Will grabbed his copy and handed it up to Sonny.

"Thanks," Sonny smiled at him. Will smiled back and his blue eyes softened.

"Turn to page 9, I'd like you to read for the part of Nathan Detroit." Will's head jerked around and his smile was gone.

"You want him to read for Nathan?"

"Yep. So, Sonny, go across the hall and learn the basic choreography we're teaching the guys. Then read through the scene on page 9 and practice a little. When we pull everyone back in we'll have you dance first and then read. Does that sound good?"

Sonny swallowed hard and peered out into the audience. He knew his teammates were out there, but he had no idea who else was watching. All he saw was darkness. He met Will's eyes once again, looking for some support, but Will was unresponsive, his eyes now icy blue.

"Okay. I'll go across the hall and then practice reading." And with that Sonny walked down those same black steps, this time with a slight lilt in his gait. The director told him he had a nice voice. Maybe he wasn't going to look like a total idiot after all. Maybe he'd do well and make Mark's little plan backfire on him. Maybe Mark would end up looking like the fool.

* * *

"Hi, you're Sonny right?" a petite blonde was standing next to him eying the cast list.

"I am."

"I'm Anna," and she put her hand out for Sonny to take. "I play opposite you. I'm Adelaide."

Sonny shook her hand politely. "Oh, okay." He didn't know anything about this show and didn't know he would have someone playing opposite him.

"You're cute." Anna said boldly. "You'll be fun to kiss."

It took a moment for her words to register. "I'm sorry, but did you say kiss?"

"Yep. Nathan and Adelaide are engaged. They kiss a couple times in the show."

"Oh. But I'm gay." Sonny blurted out. Anna laughed and put her hand on his arm.

"Don't worry, that's why they call it _**acting**_. You just pretend it's the hottie of your dreams when you have to kiss me. Although, I might not have to do that with you. Sure you're gay?"

"Yes," Sonny said and finally relaxed enough to smile at her. "Single but definitely gay. Been out since I was thirteen."

"Oh well. You better get used to the idea of kissing a girl then! We can practice whenever you want." Her flirting was audacious. Sonny couldn't help but laugh at her valiant effort.

"Ah, I think we'll have time for that in rehearsals."

"Okay. Well, nice to meet you Sonny. See you at the read-thru tomorrow night."

"Wait," Sonny caught her before she walked away, "what's a read thru?"

"The whole cast gets together in a room and reads through the entire script. So, those who don't know the story get to hear it. It's fun and casual. Nothing for you to worry about!" She said when she noticed his eyebrows furrow with worry.

"Okay, if you say so. Thanks, Anna. See you tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have reviewed, commented or sent me a PM. Guests - it's great to get your comments even if I can't respond back directly! So, we're on to chapter 2..._

* * *

The first rehearsal went off without a hitch - almost. At least it did once a dozen of Sonny's teammates got escorted out of the building for disrupting the read-thru every time Sonny had a line. And once they cleaned up the table after Russ, the guy playing the character Nicely Nicely, got so excited reading one of his lines that he spilled the entire pitcher of water all over half the cast's scripts. And once Darren, aka Sky Masterson, the show's lead, aka Salem U's rising star, aka the hottie every women - and man - in the theatre department (and beyond) would like to sleep with, decided to show up, 20 minutes late and without apology. From there, the read-thru went smoothly, and everyone, especially Sonny, was surprised at how well he did. He'd never seen this show before. He'd never acted in a play before. He'd never performed, other than on the soccer field, in front of an audience before. He managed to stammer through only a couple of lines and even got a laugh during a playful exchange with Anna (Miss Adelaide).

Will had his master script in front of him and was there tonight mostly to observe. Dr. Brinkmeyer wanted him to take notes exclusively based on what he heard, like who needs work on diction, whose voice is too nasally or could be grittier, who pulled off those funny passages and who was going to need help with line delivery. For the most part, Will kept his head down, lifting it only occasionally to check the time or to try to catch Darren's eye. He and Darren had a bit of a past. What they had done wasn't exactly considered dating, but they had gone for coffee a couple of times and did a little kissing and groping in the costume room last fall. Will knew he wasn't the only one to share those clandestine moments with Darren. It was common knowledge that Darren was flexible - men, women, students, teachers - Darren didn't discriminate. But one thing always remained consistent: Darren didn't do anything with anyone unless it helped him get what he wanted. Will knew their fling last year was so Darren could secure his part in Will's one-act show. And it worked. But despite knowing that he was clearly used, Will couldn't stop thinking about him and hoping that Darren might find him useful once again.

The read-thru overall was fairly predictable. Darren pulled off every line brilliantly, Russ was his usual klutzy self, Maddie acted like a diva (she was the other female lead) and Anna was so busy texting her friends that Dr. Brinkmeyer had to take her phone away. What wasn't predictable was how well the new guy did. Will hadn't wanted him to be good. He thought that his friend Clark would have made a better Nathan. But the truth was, once Sonny calmed down, he interpreted his lines well and even got a few laughs in just the right places. Will also didn't expect to look up from his script a couple of times just to watch Sonny. He had such gentle brown eyes and an easy smile. The last time he did this, Sonny suddenly looked up and directly at Will. Blue met brown and held for a few seconds before Will shifted his gaze back to his script. He could feel Sonny still looking at him, though, and for some reason Will found that knowledge both exciting and satisfying.

"Okay everyone, that's a wrap tonight. Nice job. I think Will got some good notes, and we'll start learning group songs tomorrow night. Darren, Sonny, Maddie, Anna - please schedule some individual time with Will to learn your songs. For now, he'll meet with you as often as you can until you know them. Anyone have questions?" Dr. Brinkmeyer paused momentarily and hearing nothing, he dismissed the group for the night.

Will was packing his bag when he felt a hand on his arm. "Will, right?" Sonny was there, looking a little tentative.

"Yes," Will responded simply.

"I just wanted to schedule some times with you right away, if that's okay? I have to make sure it doesn't interfere with soccer. My coach already isn't crazy about this, but he's willing to work with me as long as I don't miss practices. So, I just thought if I got to you first, you know, then it might be easier to find times that work for both of us." Sonny rambled on probably giving Will more information than he needed or even wanted.

"Sure, Sonny, we can do that. Did you want to right now?"

"Practice?"

"No. Schedule times to meet. Isn't that what you were asking?"

"Yes, sorry. I'm just a little nervous about all of this." Sonny admitted sheepishly, a pink hue slowly making its way up onto his cheeks.

Sonny's vulnerability softened Will, and he did what he could to ease Sonny's fears. "It's okay, you're doing well, don't worry so much. Let's get some times on the calendar...I'm pretty easy." Will realized how that must sound and quickly backtracked. "Easy to work with, you know. My schedule is pretty light this semester, so I should be able to work with your busy one."

"Thanks, Will, really. I've never done anything like this before. I'm afraid I'm not going to learn things fast enough or be able to memorize my lines." Sonny's cocky soccer star persona had completely disappeared. This new insecure Sonny was sweet and sincere, and Will found himself surprisingly eager to help him.

"Okay then what we'll do is focus on learning your songs first and then if you feel like you need it, I can help run lines."

"You don't have to do that, Will. I know you weren't happy about me getting this part."

Then it was Will's turn to be embarrassed. But he was right. Will disagreed with Dr. Brinkmeyer's decision to cast Sonny over his friend Clark and had secretly hoped that Sonny would fail. Now he felt differently. Something about Sonny's easy-going nature made Will feel comfortable around him; his insecurity Will found endearing; his gratitude Will found refreshing. "Yeah, sorry. I tend to be protective of my theatre friends and can be a little hostile to first time outsiders who get parts over people I know have worked for years for an opportunity like that."

Sonny flinched a little at Will's honesty. "I'm sorry, Will, I...I shouldn't have auditioned."

"No, Sonny, that's not what I meant! Please don't apologize. I'm starting to feel good about you as Nathan."

"Well thank goodness you are _starting_ to feel good!" Sonny broke the tension with some friendly banter.

"Don't push your luck, mister. You've got to earn any more of my support, so you better listen to your songs and start learning lines, okay?" Will paused to give him a more serious look. "So, how does 5:45pm work for you tomorrow? We could practice before rehearsal at 7?"

"Yeah, Will, that will work just fine. Should I meet you here?"

"Do you know where the practice rooms are in the other wing?" Sonny shook his head. "Then meet me here, and we'll walk together."

"Okay. Thanks, Will, I mean that. See you tomorrow at 5:45. Bye." Sonny smiled one last time and headed out of the rehearsal room.

"Well, he's a cutie, isn't he? You going to give him some 'extra' help?"

"What? Darren! He's never been in a theatre production before, so yes, as the student director, I want this show to be successful, which means everyone in it needs to be successful, and if that means some extra time with the new guy, than that's just fine with me. I don't know why you even care..." Will let his last sentence trail off.

"Don't worry, Will. I think it's admirable that you care so much about the quality of this production," Darren mocked him playfully. "You do what needs to be done, Will, you're the student director. But you know, I might need some extra help, too. I know all the songs but could use some help with phrasing and blocking. I could use your expertise."

"Sure, Darren. I'm happy to help." He tossed Will the tinniest little bone and even though Will knew it was probably poisonous, he gobbled it up anyway. Darren had a power over him he would never completely understand.

"That's a good student director," he chided and patted Will's head, like he was a dog. "We'll talk more tomorrow night, okay. I have to check my calendar to see when I'm available."

Will just nodded and watched him walk away without even saying goodbye.

* * *

The next few rehearsals were rough. Both the individual ones with Will and those with the entire group. It usually happened that way, though. The read-thru was casual and fun, and then when the tone turned serious and Dr. Brinkmeyer started giving feedback, the cast got discouraged. It was during their 5th individual lesson together that Sonny inquired about Darren.

"So, are, ah, you and Darren dating? Together?"

"No!" Will said almost too adamantly. "No," he repeated in a calmer, softer tone. "We saw each other for a short while in the past, but Darren doesn't ever see just one person. He's very focused on his...ah...career." Will cleared his throat a bit and finally had the courage to look up at Sonny.

"You don't have to explain anything more to me, Will. I was just wondering. I've seen you two talking and can't help notice a few looks going on between you." Will doesn't know how to respond to that. "But it's good to know that Darren is a player. I had kind of heard about him from a teammate of mine."

"Oh. Has Darren approached you yet?" Will asked, not sure if he wanted to know the truth.

Sonny laughed openly. "Um, no."

"What's so funny about that?"

"I think it's funny that you asked if he had approached me 'yet'. As if you know for sure that he's going to."

Will stared at his fingers sitting stiffly on the keys of the piano. "Well, let's just say that I'll be more surprised if he doesn't."

Sonny watched Will intently as a variety of emotions crossed his face. What started as contemplation turned to sadness followed by anger, or maybe it was confusion, and then finally resolve. Sonny didn't know Will very well at all, but he certainly did not like the way it seemed Darren was using him. "Just remember Will, it's important for you to get what you want, too. No compromises, okay?"

Will just gave him a tight-lipped half smile. "Can we continue on with practice, please," Will added, quickly changing the subject, "we'll need to leave for rehearsal in about 10 minutes. Okay"

Sonny watched as Will's expression immediately turned peaceful once he started to play the piano. He imagined that Will must feel "in the zone" just like he does when he's on the soccer field. And Sonny was fascinated by how effortlessly and confidently Will's fingers moved across the keys. He also thought he was pretty cute. Will's blue eyes were shining and his mouth was sort of curled up into a lopsided smile. Yes, Will was **very** cute.

Will pulled him from his thoughts. "Alright, Sonny. How about you try the line before this song..."

* * *

Will must be psychic. That very night at rehearsal Darren approached Sonny with a proposition to get together to practice their lines. They had a lot of scenes together, so it actually made sense to work together, but Sonny just couldn't help remembering what Will said about Darren's intentions never being innocent. But Darren was awfully attractive, too. Every hair in place, every blemish covered, every thread of clothing was name brand and tailored. He was almost too perfect. Like all of that on the outside was just compensating for what he lacked on the inside.

Sonny agreed to setting up some time together. "Sure, Darren, that would be great. Do we need to include Will, too? Will we be working songs?"

"Nope. Let's just meet you and me. If we need Will's help, I'm sure he'd be happy to join us later."

"Um, okay then. I have some time tomorrow," Sonny offered.

"Nope. That won't work," Darren replied curtly. "I'll have to check my schedule and get back to you."

"Okay..." but Darren didn't wait for Sonny to respond, and he found this quite rude. Sonny was still shaking his head to try to clear his thoughts when Will came up beside him.

"Told you. Darren might be egotistical, selfish and a total diva, but he is also predictable. So, watch yourself, okay?"


	3. Chapter 3

Will was in Dr. Brinkmeyer's overstuffed, desk-less office for their weekly check-in. In addition to the professor directing the musical, he was also Will's faculty advisor, so the two of them had been having these weekly meetings for quite some time now. Conversation ranged from how classes were going to how the leads were doing with their songs to family and to relationships. Will always tried to steer clear of the family/relationship stuff, but Dr. Brinkmeyer knew that and therefore pushed him to open up a little more every time. He already knew more about Will than anyone else did. He knew that Will's mom had left him and his siblings when Will was 13 years old and his youngest siblings were just born. He also knew that Will loved writing as much as he loved music and theatre and hoped to write his own musical someday. Most importantly, he knew that Will's relationship with his Dad was so tense, so strained, that Will hardly ever saw his family anymore. In their absence he made the theatre his home, his fellow performers his family, the scores and scripts became his bible, guiding him towards his own redemption.

Today Dr. Brinkmeyer focused mostly on the musical and how Will's individual sessions were going with each of the leads. "I hope Maddie has calmed down some. She is playing the part of a mission worker, so she needs to get off her high horse."

"She's doing better," Will responded, "thank goodness she is a really good actor, because she's playing Sarah with lots of compassion and simplicity. She's doing well on her songs, too."

"That's really good to hear. I hoped we wouldn't regret giving her that part. Good, good. And how about Anna?"

"Anna's also doing pretty well. She is so easily distracted lately. You know you had to take her phone away at the read-thru? Well, I had to make her put it away at all of the sessions we've had together so far. Something is going on with her, and she's lost some of her focus."

"I tried to ask her about it, but she didn't give up anything. I guess we just keep working with her, and if we have to keep taking the phone away, then so be it." Dr. Brinkmeyer smiled and shook his head. Will chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"And the boys? How are they doing? Sonny?" he inquired tentatively. Each week when he asked Will about Sonny he sounded hesitant, almost like he was afraid to hear the answer. Despite his concerns, Sonny had been doing well, aside from a few singing and breathing techniques that would take some practice to master. But Will was teaching him the tricks of the trade. And Sonny was a quick learner.

"He's doing very well, Dr. Brinkmeyer. I'm not sure how he's handling all his commitments right now since he's in both this show and a starter on the varsity soccer team. But he's managing and hasn't yet missed a session with me. He's sounding pretty good, too."

"Hmmm…do I sense tough student director Will lightening up a little when it comes to Sonny? Have I finally convinced you that he deserves this chance?" The professor looked at Will expectantly.

"Whoa, there. Don't get too carried away. He's a nice guy and I like him, but he's still got a lot to learn."

"Agreed. But I think if anyone can reach him, it's you Will. He seems to trust you and value your expertise." Dr. Brinkmeyer's expression was serious, and Will could tell that there was more going on in his head than he was willing to share right now.

"I think so, too. And it's kind of crazy because we're from very different worlds, but we're starting to become friends. He's a decent guy."

Just friends? Dr. Brinkmeyer sensed a relationship budding between the two, but he had secretly hoped that there might be more to it…enough to distract Will from Darren. Will was such a smart, genuine, hard-working person, that Dr. Brinkmeyer struggled to understand every time he got tangled up in Darren's complex relationship web. No matter how close he and Will had become as advisor and student, there were some things that Will would just never share. Will pretended to be okay with the lack of commitment ("we're both just in it for fun"), but Dr. Brinkmeyer saw every single time how crushed he was when Darren shifted his attention elsewhere. Darren was talented, yes, but he was a player, and had no qualms about breaking hearts if it meant getting what he wanted. Will was so much better than that. And Dr. Brinkmeyer just wished that Will could see that, too.

"And Darren…" the professor let his name hang in the air.

Will smiled. "Fantastic – pretty much perfect, as usual. He's got his songs down and most of the dialogue memorized already. So, he'll be a breeze to get him where we want."

Dr. Brinkmeyer sensed from Will's gushing review that they might be meeting up in the old costume room again. "Will, please tell me that you and Darren aren't seeing each other again?"

Will blushed furiously and avoided his professor's eyes. "No," Will replied stubbornly, "not seeing each other. I don't think you could ever categorize what Darren and I do as 'seeing each other'. We make each other feel good. That's it. And there are no strings attached, which is how I like it."

Dr. Brinkmeyer stared at Will until he finally looked up. "No matter how many times you tell me that, you know I still don't believe you. You deserve someone who will treat you special, Will, someone who is willing to help you grow instead of push you down so he has a better view of the top. Don't get me wrong, I think Darren is brilliant, but in terms of the whole package, Will, he doesn't hold a candle to you."

"Can we not talk about this anymore?" Will cleared his throat and let his mind drift for a moment. He's heard this so many times before. His cousin and good friend, Abigail, has always made it clear how much she disliked Darren. And Clark, one of his very best friends, was always the first to tell him when Darren started messing around with someone else. He didn't do it to be mean; he did it in hopes that one day Will might realize that even though he claimed this was what he wanted, that it was in truth the farthest thing from it.

"Sure, Will," Dr. Brinkmeyer glanced at his watch. "We're done here anyway. Are you working with anyone before tonight's rehearsal?"

"Yep, Sonny is meeting me in about an hour. I'm going to work with him on his breathing. For an athlete, I thought he'd have better stamina."

"Singing stamina is much different than running stamina, you know that, Will. He needs to train just like he does for soccer. Keep meeting with him, and if you need any suggestions or breathing exercises, let me know."

"Thanks," Will gathered his belongings and headed to the door. Before leaving he paused and spoke so softly that Dr. Brinkmeyer had to strain to hear. "Thanks for everything. Thanks for caring about me. I know I don't make it very easy." The professor smiled but Will couldn't see as he still had his back to him. "See you at rehearsal, professor."

* * *

"You are late, Mr. Kiriakis!" Coach Clay's voice was loud and curt. Clearly he was perturbed.

"I know, Coach, I'm sorry. I missed a study session last night because of rehearsal, so I had to get the notes today after class. I apologize and won't let it happen again."

"It better not. You know, we agreed that this play thing would work as long as it didn't affect your practices or games. Today is the first day I'm starting to wonder if I made the right call here. Don't let me down, Sonny. Don't let yourself down. You're one of the best I've worked with, okay?" Coach Clay's speech was sincere and caring. He wasn't concerned about Sonny just because his team always had a difficult time winning without him, but he was genuinely worried that Sonny was losing his passion for soccer. And that, to Coach Clay, was hard for him to think about since he believed Sonny had a good chance of playing professionally.

Sonny worked his butt off during practice. He went for every stray ball, he was the first down the field, and even blocked a few shots (which sort of annoyed the goalie). Mark had seen Sonny come running onto the field late, and he was hoping that maybe Coach would punish him – make him sit out practice or something like that. But whatever talk Coach gave to Sonny didn't discourage him; it only made him more determined. Which meant that Mark was still second-string.

The locker room was unusually quiet after practice that afternoon. There was no serenading of the team by Sonny nor was there much teasing or messing around. Peter was the first to say something. "Sonny, dude, you've been really quiet lately. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, man," Mark chimed in, "we haven't heard your horrible voice singing to us in weeks!"

"Seriously? You all made shit out of me every time I opened my mouth in here. Now you miss it?"

"You just don't seem like yourself, Son, that's it," Peter said and shrugged his shoulders.

"Thanks, Peter, if you actually mean it." Sonny paused and was surprised to see a concerned look on several of his teammates' faces. "Truthfully, I learned that I could really hurt my voice if I kept singing like I used to. Will is teaching me the right way to sing. And I really sound better now."

"Will?" Peter asked.

"Yeah. Will Horton. He's the student director. I have lessons with him almost daily to learn my songs and get my voice in shape."

Sonny saw Adam nodding his head. "Will Horton; he's in my statistics class. Are you doing more than practicing singing during your lessons, Kiriakis?"

"Shut up, Adam. Will's a nice guy and he's a good director. We're friends."

"Well, sorry…I just thought since he's…."

Sonny interrupted, "You just thought that since he is gay and so am I, that we are a match made in heaven, right?" Sonny shook his head in frustration. "Let me ask you this, Adam, do you find every girl out there attractive?"

"Well, no," Adam answered honestly. "I tend to stay away from blondes."

"You sure do!" Ted agreed loudly.

"Yep, after that incident with Lexi, man, you've been sticking to redheads and brunettes…" Mark added.

"Shut up Mark." Adam smacked him in the arm.

"Okay guys, I get the picture. So do you see what I'm trying to say? You don't like every straight woman because she's straight, right? I don't like every gay man just because he's gay. Get it?"

Sonny saw a couple light bulbs go on above some of the guys' heads. Even though most of them had played soccer together for years, no one had ever really asked him about what it was actually like, or knew the kind of guys he was into or dated. For the most part they all accepted him as long as they didn't talk about details.

"Just ask me if you want to know something, okay, dude? Don't make assumptions. That goes for all of you."

"Okay, since you offered. Um, do you like anal sex? Because I've been trying to talk to my girlfriend about trying it..." Peter rambled bluntly much to the dismay of just about all of his other teammates.

"Dude, don't go there!" and "Too much information!" and "Peter, shut the hell up!" could be heard from all over the locker room.

"Peter, I have to say that your candidness is refreshing. But I'm not ready to get that personal, and I don't think most of you are ready to hear the answer anyway. So, let's skip that question for now, okay?" Sonny grinned.

"Alright, fine." And Peter grinned right back.

* * *

"Okay, Sonny, let's do some scales. Let's start on "ah". Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah." Will sang and played the piano with ease.

Sonny joined in and Will kept singing along softly, just to guide him. "Now try it on "o". Will let Sonny sing solo, and he just played along. "How about on "ee". Suddenly Will stopped playing. He stared at the keys for a few seconds before speaking. "How do you do it?" He looked up and met Sonny's eyes.

"Do what?" Sonny didn't understand the question.

"Manage to keep up with your schoolwork, learn all these songs and lines, make soccer practice every day and then score the winning goal, too! Some days I am happy to just make it out of bed in the morning and back in at night."

The small practice room got very quiet, neither of them sure how to break the silence.

"Right now, I might be doing all of those things, but I'm certainly not doing them well." Sonny sounded defeated and slumped against the back of the piano.

"What? You're crazy to think that. You are amazing at all those things, don't give me that line! I watched you score the winning goal against Marshall State last weekend."

Sonny shrugged. "Maybe it was luck."

"No, you are good. And you are doing a really great job learning all your blocking and lines."

"Really. That really means a lot, Will. Especially coming from you...you're really, really talented...I mean that." Will smiled and his cheeks turned a sweet rosy pink. "I didn't know you liked soccer. Do you go to games often?"

"Sometimes. My younger brother loves soccer."

"Oh, do you take him to games?"

"No. I - I used to. But not anymore." The sad look in Will's eyes lasted only a moment before he quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, we need to practice! Let's go back to some scales...one more time on "ah"..."

As Sonny sang, he couldn't help but wonder what just happened. One moment Will was sharing with him, telling him personal things, and then just like that, Will changed back to Mr. Director and he was doing scales again. Sonny was having a really hard time figuring out the contradiction that was Will.

"Drop your jaw, Sonny. I need you to sing a long "aaahhhh"."

"I'm trying Will. This is as far a my mouth opens." Sonny whined.

"Sonny, try harder," Will demanded. "If you don't open up, no one is going to understand what you are saying or singing out in the audience. You need to exaggerate when you're on stage. So, just loosen up and let yourself go."

Sonny tried a few more and stopped abruptly. "I can't do it Will. I don't know what you want. Don't you get it, I don't understand!" Sonny was so frustrated at this point he just stood there, staring into Will's deep blue eyes. "I'm sorry..." he whispered.

"No, Sonny, I should be the one who is sorry. I'm being a total asshole."

"No, Will, you're not. Just...you have to help me understand some of these things you need me to do. Remember, I've never done this before." Sonny said apologetically.

"Okay. Let's approach this differently. I've got an idea...are you game to try something?"

"I don't know. You're making me a little nervous. Am I going to look like an ass?"

"No!" Will giggled, "would I ever do that to you?" He was teasing Sonny and a sparkle lit up his eyes in a way Sonny had never seen before. Moments ago Will was guarded, his eyes dark and unfocused. Now, as he laughed, they turned a brilliant blue, and Sonny thought he had never seen eyes so beautiful before.

"Sonny?" Will waved a hand across his face, "where'd you go?"

Sonny dragged his eyes away from Will's. "Nowhere! So, you were going to teach me this exercise that won't make me look like an ass, right?"

"Yes. But you need to listen to me completely before you judge...okay?" Sonny nodded in agreement.

"My vocal teacher always said that the very best of singers could ruin a great performance with horrible diction. So, we used to do an exercise where we'd have to put 3 fingers, up and down, into our mouthes. She'd make us sing that way to get used to it. She said "only then is your mouth open enough"."

Sonny just stared at him. "You gotta be kidding if you think I'm going to try that." Sonny stood next to the piano with his arms crossed.

"C'mon Sonny! Humor me, please? I promise you that this works. Please?" he begged sweetly, flashing him a toothy smile.

Sonny continued to stand there, arms crossed, and belligerent. "Will..."

"Just once! If you don't try it I'm going do it for you. When you least expect it, your mouth will be open to sing and you'll have 3 fingers in your mouth."

"You would stick your fingers in my mouth just to make a point?" Sonny was incredulous. But as he stood there, he started to give in a little. "You really think it will help that much?"

"I do, Sonny. Try it for me, please?" And Will proceeded to demonstrate. He put his three middle fingers together and straightened them before placing them vertically into his mouth. Sonny mimicked him and soon he was singing his scales on "ah" with his mouth open wider than ever before. "Good, good, Sonny!" Will praised him, "keep it up!" Then after a couple more, "you can pull your fingers out now, but make sure you keep your mouth open just as much."

After about 5 minutes, Will stopped and asked, "so, how did that feel? Did your voice feel different?"

"I hate to say it, Will, but you're right! I really felt everything open up. How did I sound?" he asked self-consciously.

"You sounded really good, Sonny! In fact I don't know if you noticed, but you were able to sing one note lower and about 2 higher than you ever have before. It really is amazing what you can do when you open your mouth and throat!" At first Will didn't realize exactly what he had said. They both knew he was talking about singing, but they couldn't help themselves from laughing heartily at the innuendo.

When they caught their breath once again, Sonny was the one to speak first. "Will, I can't thank you enough for all this time you're spending working with me. I'm sure I'm not the easiest to work with..."

"Sonny, I enjoy it, I really do. And you are fun to be around. I kind of feel like I've made a friend." Will looked at him with that same sparkle Sonny had seen for the first time tonight. "Make sure you remember what we did here...practice that tonight, okay?"

"You're not telling me to sing with my fingers in my mouth, are you?" He asked playfully.

"No!" Will chuckled, "but if you don't sing with your mouth open, I might have to intervene. And if you thought it was tough singing with your own fingers in your mouth, it's even harder with someone else's."

"You wouldn't, Will," Sonny said nervously with more than a tiny bit of skepticism.

Will held Sonny's gaze for a moment before responding with a sly grin. "Try me."


	4. Chapter 4

Saturdays for Will were typically spent in the theatre. He considered them his "work" days, since it wouldn't be unusual for him to spend hours writing, singing, and composing. Being able to spend 8-10 and sometimes 12 hours doing what he loved most was to Will, the definition of a perfect day. But today, like the previous Saturday, Will started to feel antsy around mid-morning. He didn't really understand what was going on with him. He never before felt the urge to leave the theatre - especially on a Saturday. That place felt more like home to him than anywhere else, so he really struggled with this new feeling. But try as he might, he still couldn't concentrate, and so like last weekend, he packed up his bag and left the theatre behind.

The campus at this time of year was really a beautiful place. Will wandered through the common area outside where flowers were just starting to appear. There were tulips and daffodils in various stages of bloom; the grass had lost most of its roughness, and it felt lush and full under his feet as Will cut across the quad to the library. Though it was only about 50 degrees outside, the sun made it feel a lot warmer. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and Will took his time, walking slower than ever before, absorbing every bit of energy he could from each budding life-form.

Once Will passed the library, the science hall and the ice arena, he found himself at the soccer fields, exactly the same place he ended up last weekend. This time it was too early in the day for a soccer game. But he did see a group of kids, about twenty of them probably ages 9 or 10, practicing in one of the far fields. He felt drawn to them, and Will couldn't help but think of his younger brother, Johnny, who loved soccer. It had been almost a year since he saw him last. They lived only miles apart, but Will couldn't bring himself to talk to his Dad in order to ask permission to see Johnny. And his Dad would never initiate contact. Even if it meant keeping 3 siblings from seeing their older brother. The thought made Will very sad.

He made his way down closer to where the kids were playing and picked a spot up high on the bleachers. He pulled his tablet out of his bag so it would at least appear that he was doing some kind of work should anyone approach him. But all he really wanted to do was watch the kids play. He couldn't help but laugh at their screams of delight as they chased after each other up and down the field. Will had played soccer for a while when he was younger, too. He wasn't very good, but he did remember how carefree he felt when he was running. That was when his Dad was involved in everything Will did. He would be at every practice, every game, every school event; he was the most wonderful, caring, attentive parent. Then his Mom got pregnant with the twins, and she demanded all of his time. He stopped attending any of Will's or his little sister's activities. He and Mom starting fighting. A lot. And throwing things. Less than one month after the twins were born, Mom left and hadn't been heard from since.

Will was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even hear some young boys walk by the bleachers.

"Will?" came a small voice from the group. The voice sounded a lot like Johnny's, but Will also hadn't heard it in a while. "Will, is that you?"

He lifted his head from the blank screen of his tablet and looked down at a miniature version of himself. The boy had Will's thick blonde hair and slender build. His eyes were bright blue surrounded by dark, long lashes. "Johnny!" Will set his things aside and ran down to give his little brother a big hug. "What are you doing here, bud?"

"I have soccer practice here."

"That's you practicing over there, huh? Is Dad here with you?"

"Nah. I came with Jamie," and he pointed to the redhead next to him.

"That's great that you play here. How long have you been doing that?"

"I dunno. This is where we've always practiced." Johnny said shrugging his shoulders. His own brother was here on campus every weekend for soccer practice, and he didn't even know it. Their Dad would have never told him. His grandma might have, though, and Will started to feel guilty for not keeping in touch with her lately. He didn't realize until that very moment just how disconnected from his family he really was.

After his Mom left, Will blamed his Dad. This was the start of their estrangement. Follow that up with being an angst-ridden teenager trying to find his own way, refusing to play sports anymore and delving into music and theatre. And the last straw was when he told his father he was gay. He stayed in the house until high-school graduation, but as soon as that happened and he turned 18, he was off on his own. Will started working on campus the summer before his freshman year and had lived there since then.

"Will?" another familiar voice shouted at him from across the field.

"Sonny?" Will had to blink twice to make sure it was him.

"What are you doing here?" Sonny asked him as he jogged up to them.

"Well, I was just sitting here enjoying the sunshine, watching the kids practice. Then when these guys walked past, I recognized Johnny, my little brother. So, we've been catching up."

"Yeah," Johnny said somberly, "I haven't seen Will since Grandma's birthday party last year."

Will looked back him with a sad smile. Sonny watched the two exchange knowing glances, each expression mirrored by the other. There was no doubt these two were related. In fact, Sonny imagined Johnny to look like Will did at his age. The thought made Sonny smile.

"Okay," Will snapped out of his daze, "I know why I'm here and my brother is here. So, the question is, why are you here?"

Sonny laughed. "Boys, weren't you headed to the bathroom? You better get going so we can get back to practice." And the group headed towards the sports complex. He focused his attention back on Will. "A couple of my teammates coach soccer on the weekends. This is their team. Occasionally I tag along to help out. Today we're working on ball control, which happens to be one of my specialties." Sonny wiggled his eyebrows and flashed Will a proud smile.

"Oh, I see. So if my little brother becomes a famous soccer star one day, I might have to thank you for some of that?" Will grinned back.

"Of course. I can already tell at 9, the boy's got mad skills." Will could totally tell he was teasing. If Johnny's talents were as similar to Will as his features, then surely he could run up and down the field but would never score a goal. Will grimaced and wrinkled his nose.

"That good hah. Well, at least they are having fun, right? That's what's most important…" And the two laughed easily until they were interrupted by the boys' return.

"Well, I have to get back to them, Will, but it was nice seeing you. Hey," he suddenly had an idea, "why don't you come over with us. You can watch your brother and help me out." Sonny looked hopeful. So hopeful that Will couldn't resist.

"As long as "helping" doesn't involve running or kicking, I'll be fine." Sonny nodded his acceptance as Will loaded up his bag.

"Yay!" Johnny yelled and grabbed Will's hand. "Let's go," and he proceeded to drag his big brother all the way to their practice field.

Sonny watched the two of them as they walked – or rather as Will was pulled – ahead. He was having a hard time understanding why it had been so long since Will had seen his brother. Sonny knew all the kids on the team lived in the community, so Johnny must live nearby. If that was the case, why had it been so long since they saw one another? Sonny couldn't imagine going for more than a month without seeing his brothers. Sure, there were times when practice and school and everything else got in the way, but they still made time to see each other. Even if it was for a quick drink.

As practice started up again, Will watched with pride as his brother tumbled and tripped his way up and down the field never once touching the ball. Just like Will, Johnny seemed content to run and couldn't be bothered with any of the other aspects of the game. Sonny came up next to him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Well, what do you think?"

"I think that having fun is the most important thing…" Wil chuckled loudly when Johnny crashed into one of his teammates sending them both giggling to the ground, "…thank goodness they seem to be doing that."

"Yep. They are having fun, that's for sure." Sonny smiled at the sight of Will watching his brother. Even if it was just a moment in time, even if he knew nothing of Will's family circumstances, even if it was only today, Sonny was sure that this was very special for both of the brothers.

One of the kids came running up to them, "Sonny, can you be goalie for us? Just for like 5 minutes?"

Only then did Will actually notice that no one was playing goalie on either end of the field. He gave Sonny a puzzled look and the brunette explained, "while the kids are learning, we want them to focus on the ball, on their coordination, on making it from one end of the field to the other. We sometimes don't use goalies…once they get the ball down the field consistently, then we add them back in. They get so flustered if they are trying to concentrate on too many things at once. Every once in a while when I'm here, I'll guard the net for them, to give them practice. Do you want to join me?"

"No." Will said quickly and adamantly. "I said no running or kicking, remember?"

"C'mon Will. There is no running or kicking involved in this. All you have to do is stand there and keep me company. I'll do all the work. You know you wanna…" Sonny teased, looking mischievous.

"Jeez! Okay. Well, I'm already here, so why not. But you have to promise me that I just get to stand there and talk to you. If a ball comes flying at me, I'm on the ground in no time flat."

"Promise. Cross my heart," and he did just that. "C'mon."

Sonny was standing right in front of the net, and Will was far off to the side, close enough to the back that he could run around if he needed to avoid an incoming ball. The kids lined up in front of Sonny, each ready to take their best shot. Time after time, Sonny effortlessly moved from side to side, catching just about every ball that came at him. Rarely, a ball would get by him and the boys would whoop and holler like they had won the world cup.

"One more time through for everyone, okay?" Sonny directed and resumed his goalie stance. "So, Will, do you have other siblings?" He asked it so casually as the kids continued their onslaught.

Will was in awe watching him easily move around, saving goals all while having a friendly conversation with him. "Um, yes, Johnny has a twin sister and then we have another sister, between me and the twins." Sonny waited to see if he'd divulge any more information, but Will shared only that much.

"Wow, all younger than you! I have three older brothers, and they never hesitate to remind me that I'm the baby in the family." Sonny smiled as he blocked yet another shot.

"You _**are**_ really good," Will finally admitted after watching Sonny play for a while.

"Thanks, Will, I have been playing forever. I think I saw one of my brothers playing when I was like 2 and tried to run out there with him. So, my mom and dad put me in soccer as soon as they could."

Will and Sonny were engaged in conversation so much so that neither seemed to notice that the kids were all through the line and the two coaches, Sonny's friends, were lining up to take a shot. Sonny quickly got serious and taunted his friend a bit.

"Give me your best shot, man. I'm ready for ya'!" The ball came flying at him full force, and Sonny made it to the far left corner just in time to knock the ball from the net.

The kids cheered. "Yay, Sonny!" "Woo hoo!" "That was awesome!" But the other coach, giving Sonny an intense glare, didn't give him a break to recover and ran towards the ball.

The last thing Will saw was the ball as it rocketed off the top of the guy's foot. The next thing he saw was the ground. He knew he hadn't been knocked unconscious, but he was pretty sure he had gotten the breath knocked out of him. Or at least he hoped that's why he was gasping for air.

"Oh my gosh, Will, are you alright?" Sonny appeared in front of him looking completely panicked. "Will, say something!" He squatted down and shook Will's shoulder. "Will?"

Will finally opened his eyes. Sonny was right there, hovering over him, looking worried sick. The kids were around him, peering down with the other two coaches. He looked at them all…and started laughing. Even though it hurt, Will could not stop the belly-bursting roar from coming out of him. Slowly, Sonny's concern turned to amusement, and he too started laughing along. Pretty soon, the whole group was laughing. And the best thing about that entire situation? Will actually caught the ball. He was flat on his back, wind knocked out of him, grass in his hair, but he managed to hold onto the ball. Will made the save.

"Okay boys, practice is over! See you next week!" The coaches started walking the kids back towards their parents, waiting on the sidelines.

"Bye Will!" Johnny shouted as he ran off with his friends.

"Bye Johnny," Will yelled with all the energy he could muster. He was still on the ground and still out of breath.

"Here," Sonny grabbed a hold of one of Will's hands, "let me help you up."

Will wasn't sure if it was the blow to the gut or Sonny's touch that made him feel lightheaded. Probably a bit of both. Sonny stood him up, made sure he was stable on his feet and started brushing grass off of him. Will joined in, chuckling at the grass that somehow made it up and inside the collar of his shirt. "Freshly mowed grass?" Will inquired dryly.

"Yeah, sorry Will, you have grass everywhere!"

Just as Sonny stepped behind Will to help with his back, Will leaned over to brush off the cuffs of his pants. One of those actions alone wouldn't have produced any additional body contact. But those two actions together resulted in Will's backside brushing right up against Sonny's front side. The feeling, whether awkward or enticing, caused them both to take in a sharp breath.

Will stood up the instant it happened and turned to face Sonny. "I'm sorry, Sonny…"

Sonny was shaking his head with a small smile on his face, "No, Will, no reason to be sorry. I was just going to brush off your back."

"Thanks. Does it still need it?" Looking away from Sonny's warm brown eyes, Will boldly turned around for Sonny once again. Without a word, Sonny gently, lingering maybe a bit longer than he normally would, cleared the grass from Will's shoulders and back and below.

"Will?" he heard for the third time that day. Now Will had been surprised to see Johnny and Sonny unexpectedly today, but he was downright shocked when he heard his name being called by none other but Darren himself. "What are you doing here?" Darren looked at Will pointedly.

Will bent the truth a little. "Ah, I came to watch my little brother's practice and ended up seeing Sonny. I was just helping him protect the net, you know, sort of an assistant to the goalie." Will gave Sonny a big smile and they chuckled quietly, sharing a special but brief moment.

"Um, what are **you** doing here, Darren?" Will was very curious to know.

"Sonny invited me," he answered simply. Will immediately glanced at Sonny, who was looking a bit awkward. Even though Will had called it from day one, he was still surprised to see Sonny encouraging Darren. Perhaps all that earlier, the smiling, talking, what Will would consider flirting even, was only in his mind. He hoped his face didn't look as crushed as he felt on the inside.

"You're quite early, Darren. My game doesn't start until at least 1pm. JV plays first." Will thought he saw just a hint of disdain from Sonny as he looked questioningly at Darren. But still, Sonny had invited Darren to his game.

"Oh. Well, I don't mind watching you practice," Darren said confidently, flirting openly with Sonny.

"Well, I need to get going. I've wasted enough of my Saturday already!" Will was trying not to sound flustered or disappointed, but despite what a phenomenal actor he was, he couldn't cover up the ache that had taken hold of his heart.

"Or you could stay for my game, Will?" Sonny asked meeting his eyes. He really did look sincere. But the last thing Will wanted was to hang out at Sonny's game with Darren. "We could all go out for a drink after?"

"Yeah, Will, stay." Darren said the words but didn't really mean them.

"Can't. Sorry. I have so much work to do. Okay, so I'm off. Thanks Sonny for everything. You have no idea how much that meant to me. Darren, enjoy the game. Sonny is sure fun to watch." Both of the men, who unbeknownst to Will, were much more into him than into each other, watched as he walked away.

"Well, Darren, I have to go practice and get ready. If you're still here when the game is over, I'll come over to say hi."

"What happened to that drink you wanted to grab with the 3 of us? Can't just the 2 of us do that?" Darren turned on the charm big time.

"Ummm, sorry Darren, I just remembered that I made dinner plans with my family tonight. Raincheck?" Sonny thought he did pretty well coming up with that on the fly. Come to think of it, maybe he could go home for dinner. Even though the cafeteria food wasn't all bad, it didn't even come close to what the Kiriakis family chef made. It was time for Sonny to make a call home. He was getting hungry just thinking about it.

"Sure, Sonny! I'll be here cheering you on! So, have a great game," Darren smiled sweetly as Sonny packed his bag.

"Great, Darren, thanks. Um, have a good weekend, and I'll see you at rehearsal on Monday." And then they both turned around, not to look at each other, but to watch Will's lanky frame as it disappeared from their view.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Once again thanks SO MUCH for your comments. Every single one means the world to me. I know I have been getting chapters out pretty quickly this week, and I am hopeful I can keep that up. But a new job and visitors from out of town may make it more difficult. I promise I'll do my best! So, here we go with Chapter 5..._

* * *

Monday's rehearsal focused completely on the leads and anyone with a major song in the show. Dr. Brinkmeyer had given the chorus and those with smaller speaking/singing roles the night off. He scheduled all of them – Sky, Sarah, Nathan, Miss Adelaide, Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Rusty Charlie and Benny Southstreet - for half hour sessions. He went through some of the bigger numbers first - "Guys and Dolls", "Luck Be a Lady" and "Sit Down You're Rockin the Boat". Russ, Nicely Nicely, got a little overexcited, as usual, and he rocked the boat right off the stage. No permanent damage was done to Russ, the boat or the stage. Other than that minor interruption, Dr. Brinkmeyer was impressed with the cast's progress and felt much better about the show opening in less than 3 weeks.

After those numbers, Sonny was up. They were going to have him perform his solo and then they'd get Anna up there for their joint numbers. Sonny was extremely nervous about performing in front of all of these people…and this was just a small group. What was he going to do when there was an auditorium full of them? What he was most concerned about, though, was Will. For all the time and effort Will spent working with him, he wanted to prove to him that his time wasn't wasted. It really boiled down to this: what Sonny wanted most was to make Will proud.

Will was in the audience with Dr. Brinkmeyer, taking his own notes, paying attention to what was happening on stage while still keeping his distance. Will hadn't really spoken to Sonny since Saturday. Granted, that was only two days ago, but to Will, it felt like two weeks. He realized that he was being silly about the whole Darren thing, but despite the fact that Will knew that he and Sonny were friends and that Sonny was free to see whomever he wanted, he still felt some resentment. Deep down Will wanted Sonny to be happy; just not with Darren.

As Sonny started singing, Dr. Brinkmeyer called him out on the very issue he and Will had worked on for most of last week. "Sonny, you have to open your mouth wider when you sing. That will help with projection, too."

"Okay Dr. Brinkmeyer," and Sonny looked to Will, expecting him to chime in with his own comments and advice. But Will kept quiet.

"Start again, Sonny." Dr. Brinkmeyer stood and walked all around theatre, making sure they would be able to hear from any seat in the house. "Sonny, do I have to make you sing with 3 fingers in your mouth like Will did?"

"No!" Sonny said insistently. "Let's try it again." He improved slightly, but not enough to Dr. Brinkmeyer's liking.

"Okay Sonny. Concentrate on widening your throat so the fullest, most supported sound comes out. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." They started into his solo once again, and within a minute, Dr. Brinkmeyer stopped him. He was getting ready to pull Sonny when Will popped up from his seat, slammed down his notebook and ran up onto the stage. He stood directly in front of Sonny.

"Do you remember what we did on Thursday?"

"Yes, I do."

"Do you remember how easy it was to sing when you opened your mouth and relaxed your tongue?"

"Yes, Will, I do. It's just hard when I get nervous, I tighten up." Sonny looked frustrated.

"Should we do some warm ups with 3 fingers in?"

"No, Will, I don't want to get laughed at."

"People are only going to laugh if you continue to sing with your mouth mostly shut so they can't understand a word you're saying!" Will was past frustrated. He and Sonny had worked so hard on this. He couldn't understand why they were back at square one.

"Okay, let me try once again."

"No."

"I'm sorry?" Sonny didn't understand.

"Do something for me, please." Will ordered, holding Sonny's gaze firm. "Stick out your tongue."

Despite the urge to fight back or run off the stage, Sonny stayed and did as he was told.

"Now, with your tongue out as far as it can go, repeat after me: ah, ah, ah," Will sang fifths easily.

Then Sonny tried to emulate Will. He started singing but within a couple fifths, he had lost that open sound. "I-I'm sorry, Will."

Will didn't respond with words of encouragement or support, he simply demanded one more time, "Mouth open, tongue out."

When Sonny obeyed this time, Will reached out and grabbed hard, holding Sonny's tongue hostage. Will hadn't intended on hurting him, at least not intentionally, but from the look on Sonny's face, it appeared that he had. Either that or it startled Sonny so much he didn't even know how to respond. Sonny quickly jerked his head to the side which forced Will to release his tongue.

Sonny looked at Will with fire in his eyes. "Will, what the hell?"

"I'm sorry, you ask me what the hell? When we've worked on this for weeks, and then you come up here and make both you and me look like a fool? Like we've done nothing during our individual sessions." Will stared back at him with just as much intensity.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you so mad? Is it me?" Sonny was beyond puzzled.

"What do you think." Will spat back accusingly.

"Ahem," Dr. Brinkmeyer interrupted their heated exchange. The rest of the cast was wide-eyed, staring at them both. "It looks like we have a couple things to iron out. So, let's all take a break….be back in 15. Will, Sonny, please take this backstage and resolve your issues. Now."

Will knocked into Sonny a little harder than necessary as he headed backstage. Sonny shook his head and followed. He wanted to just shake him. Where was that kind, patient Will who spent so much time with him? Where was that Will who made him smile, who laughed hysterically after getting the wind knocked out of him by a soccer ball? Where was the Will that was so gentle and proud of his little brother? Right now it seemed that Will, the one Sonny had come to consider a friend, was long gone.

"Okay, Will, what's really going on?"

"**THIS** is what's really going on. You're not opening your mouth like we worked on. Dr. Brinkmeyer is not happy with you or me. The last thing I want is my director and advisor thinking I've failed."

"Will, you haven't failed! I'll do better, I promise. I just….you seem so angry about this. It makes me wonder if something else isn't going on. Did you and Darren have a fight?"

"Me and Darren?!" Will exploded. "No, I did not fight with Darren. In fact, I haven't done anything with Darren lately except see him at your game on Saturday," he clipped bitterly.

_Aha._ Now they were getting to the heart of the issue. "So, you are mad at me because he showed up at my game."

"No, I'm mad that you _invited_ him to your game."

"But I didn't."

"I'm sorry, but that's specifically what Darren said on Saturday when I asked him why he was there."

"Okay, this is how our conversation went: _Darren – how's soccer going? Me – going pretty well. Darren – I've never been to a soccer game before. Are they fun? Me – I think so, but I play in them! Darren – Yeah. Well, I'd like to see you play sometime. Me – okay. We've got games on most Saturdays; you're free to come._ And that's it, Will."

"And what about the drink after the game?"

"What drink?"

"You know, when you said the 3 of us should go out for a drink after the game?"

"Yeah. The **3** of us. I wanted you to stay for my game, Will."

"You did?"

"Yes, I did."

Will suddenly got quiet and started chewing self-consciously on his thumbnail. "So, did you and Darren get drinks after anyways?" he asked tentatively.

"No, we didn't. I wanted to hang out and have a drink with my friend Will, not have a drink with Darren. But I was willing to put up with him if it meant you'd go along."

"Oh." Will stood there for a minute letting all of this information sink in. Wow had he made some pretty big assumptions. And those assumptions caused some of the most frustrating and maddening thoughts to invade his mind over the last couple days. He got carried away. And now he messed things up with Sonny.

"Will?" Sonny broke the silence and took a step closer. "Is that what's really bothering you?"

"You want the truth?"

"I'd prefer it."

"The truth is….I thought you just dismissed the advice I gave you about Darren. I told you he was a total player, and I thought you were just going to play right along. Because what could a nerdy theatre outcast like me tell popular soccer-star Sonny that he doesn't already know?" Will looked down at the stage floor and kicked at some invisible dirt. What Will just said was the truth…but not all of it. The rest wouldn't matter if they couldn't even be friends.

"Will, look at me, please." Will begrudgingly raised his eyes to meet Sonny's. The minute blue met brown Will felt a calmness and security he seemed to feel only when Sonny was around. "I don't like Darren. I am not interested in him, okay? If I seem friendly, it's because we have to work together in quite a few scenes, and I thought it would be better to make peace rather than war. You know how I feel about the way he treats you. I told you that during our first rehearsal together. I could have easily told the guy off about 100 times by now."

"Really?" Will managed a slight smile.

"Really."

"Sonny, I'm so sorry. I'm an asshole. You didn't deserve that. Oh my gosh, and I'm so sorry I grabbed your tongue! I let my emotions get the best of me. Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" The realization of what he had done out there in front of everyone hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt awful.

"Only a little. It just surprised the hell out of me. I hadn't ever seen you that angry before. I was kind of scared."

"You were?" Will chuckled.

"Yes! You should have seen your eyes! You were shooting daggers big time!" They laughed together at the ridiculousness of the whole situation.

"So…are we okay then?" Will was the first to ask.

"Yeah. We're okay. We better be because the truth is, Will, I don't think I can do this without you. You've helped me so much, and I-I feel brave when you're around. Like I can actually sing."

"Because you CAN, Sonny. And you can sing well. Just clear out all those doubts getting in your way. When you get back there, maybe just focus on me, okay? You can pretend we're back in the practice room, just the two of us, trying to sing with 3 fingers in our mouths, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Will. Really, thanks a lot." And Sonny stepped forward, grabbed Will by the shoulders and brought him in for an unexpected hug. It was a sweet, friendly embrace with several pats on the back, but to Will it felt so comfortable that he could have stayed there much longer had Sonny not pulled away so quickly.

"So, get out there, try this again, and show them the REAL Nathan Detroit. You're good, Sonny. It's time that everyone else saw that too." Will walked past him, out onto the stage, down the stairs and into the front row of the auditorium. Sonny followed right behind and stopped center stage.

"Dr. Brinkmeyer, I'm very sorry for my performance earlier. I will do better this time, I promise. I'm ready to go again." This time Sonny watched Will the entire time he sang. He focused on Will's eyes, the tuft of hair that had fallen down over his glasses, the way his hands and feet tapped to the rhythm of the song, and the way his smile got bigger and wider when Sonny was doing really well. And at the end of the song, Will wasn't the only one clapping.

"Very nice, Sonny," Dr. Brinkmeyer said sincerely from his chair. "I see that all the kinks seem to have worked themselves out, huh?" He glanced from Sonny to Will and back again.

"Yes, they have," Sonny responded and the two boys exchanged a secret smile.

"Great! Moving on then…Anna, you're up with Sonny. It's time for "Adelaide's Lament"…."


	6. Chapter 6

Sonny was feeling pretty good after that night's rehearsal, especially good once he and Will got through their issues and he could concentrate solely on being Nathan Detroit. They had applauded a couple times, and he was thrilled to get that kind of response from experienced "theatre people". He was actually starting to look forward to the show's opening. He even contemplated inviting his parents and brothers….and maybe some of his roommates. He really wanted to make sure Mark went to one of the shows, since in a way, he was responsible for getting him to audition. Granted, it was because he lost a bet, but still, in a way he wanted to thank Mark, while at the same time delivering the clear message that his plan to make Sonny look stupid backfired. His plan ultimately got Sonny one of the leading roles.

The first thing Sonny did when he got home was head to the kitchen to grab something to eat. Going from class to practice to his individual lessons and then rehearsal had required a serious overhaul of Sonny's daily routine. Before, he would typically eat at home with his teammates, since that's who primarily lived in the house. Now, he would try to steal a moment in between one of those commitments to grab a sandwich or eat a protein bar. Today was particularly crazy, and plus, Sonny had been too nervous to eat before group rehearsal.

He was in search of dinner leftovers when his friend Joel found him in the kitchen. "Sonny! How are you man?"

"Good," but that's all he managed until the food he stuffed in his mouth was thoroughly chewed. "Sorry. I'm really hungry."

Joel laughed. "Schedule is pretty busy these days, huh?"

"Yep…closer to crazy. I'm glad the show will be done in three weeks." Sonny paused and leaned up against the counter near the refrigerator. "I'd like it if you came to the play, Joel. It would be great to have a friend in the audience."

"I don't think I could miss the chance to see you sing and dance on stage, dude. Soccer star Sonny turned musical star." Joel smiled widely as he teased him.

Sonny chuckled, "I'm afraid that may be why some of the other guys come to the show, too." Sonny took another bite of the cold leftover spaghetti and his expression turned serious. "What does it feel like?"

"What does _what_ feel like?" Joel looked puzzled.

"What's it like being out of soccer?"

Sonny and Joel had become friends their freshman year . They were both heavily recruited by their coach, and they met the first day of tryouts. Sonny remembered thinking that Joel was really good, and he'd have some tough competition. They made the team together for the next three years until Joel was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation left him with little energy for anything but classes and homework, so he had to leave the team right before their senior year started.

"It's hard not being a part of it anymore. I hear you guys talking about something that happened during practice or a game, and I feel out of it. But at the same time, I'm doing really well in my classes and I met Sarah. I wouldn't have if I was still in soccer." The smile on Joel's face said it all. He and Sarah had been seeing each other now for almost 8 months; they met after one of his treatments when he literally fainted on her, and the two have been together since. "Why are you asking?"

"I dunno, Joel. I love soccer and it's been my life for as long as I can remember. Coach says I should try out for one of the professional leagues after I graduate but a part of me just wants to take a break from everything…see how life is without soccer."

"Does this have anything to do with how much you're enjoying being in this musical thing?"

"I dunno about that either. Maybe. I've been having more fun than I thought, that's for sure, and I met some cool people. There's this guy Will, who has been giving me singing lessons, and he's really great. I didn't think we'd have anything in common, but I really like hanging out with him."

"Hold up there buckaroo. Did you say you **really like** hanging out with him?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Just wondering. Last time I heard you talk like that about someone was when you first met Eddie."

"No," Sonny said a little too quickly, "it's not like that." But it kind of made him wonder if it actually was. Eddie had been in his Environmental Biology class and lab two years ago. They first started talking, then studying together, and then hanging out outside of class, then going to movies and then Eddie would come to his games. Sonny thought Eddie saw him as a good friend. Joel said Sonny was blind not to see that Eddie wanted more than that. Sonny laughed it off. Eventually during one of their study sessions, Eddie leaned over to check Sonny's notes and ended up kissing him instead. While Sonny was surprised, he was also pretty excited, finally admitting how much he really did like Eddie. They dated for a year until Eddie graduated and moved back East to get a job near his family. They kept in touch; Sonny flew out to visit him once, but their lives were so different and it was hard to connect. They didn't have much in common anymore and the relationship fizzled.

Sonny couldn't help but wonder if he might be harboring some of those same feelings for Will.

"You sure?" Joel interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah. Will is great…he's pretty hot and really talented. But he's into another guy in the cast. In fact, we had it out today because of it." Joel's raised eyebrows encouraged Sonny to tell him all about it – the soccer practice, Darren showing up, Will not staying for the game, and then Will getting mad at him for seeing Darren. "He was really upset at the thought that I invited Darren to my game. He didn't like me coming between the two of them."

"Ah, Sonny?"

"Huhm?"

"Did it ever cross your mind that maybe he was upset because he didn't want **Darren** coming between the **two of you**?"

"What?" Sonny didn't understand.

"Man, you are an awesome athlete and a smart guy, but when it comes to relationships, you are just clueless." Joel shook his head and met Sonny's eyes. "Dude, Will is into you. In my opinion, he was jealous that you had invited Darren to your game."

"But I didn't."

"But he thought you did, right?"

"Yeah, but we cleared that up tonight. He knows that I told Darren that I had games on the weekend that were open to the public. He knows that I only invited them out for a drink after because I wanted to hang out with Will, not with Darren."

Joel interjected, "And he knows that you didn't end up going out for that drink with just Darren, right?"

"Right." Sonny thought about Will and how quickly he rushed off after Darren showed up on Saturday. He thought about how angry Will got at the thought of Darren leading Sonny on. He thought about how nice it had been to hug him tonight.

"We've been friends long enough Sonny for me to know how you work. You meet someone, become friends, start hanging out all the time, and then you're dating. Hook-ups have never gone well for you."

"That's the truth." Sonny had tried it twice. Each met disastrous ends. He vowed never to give himself to someone again if he didn't know and like them first.

"Tell me this, Sonny, when I say the name "Will", what do you think of first?"

Sonny smiled. "I think of him laughing his head off, on the ground after the wind got knocked out of him. He's got such a fantastic smile, and his eyes are this stunning blue. I think of how much he's helped me these last weeks with my singing. I think about how good if felt tonight to look at him in the audience when I was performing. He believes in me."

"Well, I am no relationship expert, but that description of your "friend" (Joel made quotes with his fingers) makes me believe that you have a major crush, Sonny. I think he's into you, too. Ask him out."

"No. Not during the show."

"Why not?"

"We get along so well now, Joel, and I don't want to screw that up. What if he isn't into me and I've just put myself out there? That would make for a couple of very tense weeks of rehearsal. No. We're friends. That's it."

"Okay, dude, it's your life. But I'm telling you, nothing's ever going to happen if don't take a chance. Some risks are worth it."

"Thanks, Joel. I really do appreciate your advice. But my life is far too busy for any of that…I'm just trying to keep my head above water until graduation."

"Well, good luck with everything. I'll definitely be at your show cheering you on." And Joel waved as he headed down the hall and upstairs to his room.

Sonny finished his cold spaghetti, grabbed a bottle of water, an apple and a cookie and went the opposite direction to his room. He thought once more about what Joel said and once again shrugged it off as nothing. "Me and Will are just friends," he said aloud, and closed his door behind him.

* * *

Will was still in the theatre at 11:30pm, getting costumes out for fittings and replenishing stage make up supplies. His mind was on a variety of things but kept wandering back to Sonny. He was thinking about the way Sonny pulled him in for a hug that night after their misunderstanding was cleared up. And he was thinking about how good it felt to be held by him. "I'm lucky to have met him," Will spoke to himself, "he's a good friend."

"Who is a good friend?" He felt arms snake around him and bold hands dug into his front jeans pockets. Darren started nuzzling Will's neck while his hands explored deeper. Will closed his eyes and settled back against Darren encouraging him to continue. Darren started nibbling harder on Will's ear and his hands started moving to the middle, massaging, eager for Will's compliance. Will enjoyed the sensations and let his mind wander to thick, brown hair, mussed by wind, smooth skin sweaty from exercise, brilliant smile and exquisite brown eyes staring down at him as he was pulled up from the grass…

"Sonny…" he murmured unintentionally.

Darren stopped all of his movement. "Did you just say Sonny's name?" Will couldn't see Darren's face, but he knew he was angry.

"No. I mean yes, but…I was answering your earlier question," he floundered, trying to recover. "You asked me who was a good friend, and I said Sonny."

"Oh," Darren said and turned Will around to face him. "It's good that you have a friend, Will," he said with just enough sarcasm to cause Will to take a step back. "What's wrong? You don't want to mess around anymore?" Darren met his eyes and tried to pull Will closer. Will stayed planted firm.

"Darren, I have work to do, and it's getting late."

"I know….this will just be quick, Will. Just to make each other feel good…."

"No, Darren, I don't want that tonight."

"Since when?" he questioned accusingly.

"Since now. Sorry, Darren, I have work that I still need to do before I can leave."

Darren stared at him, squinting his eyes as if that would give him better access to Will's feelings. "I think you like Sonny."

"Think what you want Darren."

"You know, Sonny and I had drinks after his game on Saturday. We had a _great_ time." Had Sonny and Will not talked earlier, he might have believed what Darren just said. But somehow, it was much easier for Will to trust Sonny, and he gave Darren a knowing smile.

"Good for you," Will said plainly, giving nothing away.

"It _was_ good, Will…" Darren carried on, but Will saw right through his lies. How had Will ever found Darren so charming and irrisistible?

"Will? Are you in there? Darren, do I hear your voice, too?" Saved by Dr. Brinkmeyer. Will couldn't have been happier to hear his voice.

"Yes," Will yelled back, "we're in the costume room working on things for tomorrow, come on in."

Dr. Brinkmeyer poked his head in. "How you doing with their outfits?"

"Great! I've got several picked out for tomorrow, and we can see which one looks better on stage. Just about everyone should be ready for their fitting, then. Darren was just helping me with his, as a matter of fact."

"Well," the professor yawned and glanced at his watch, "it's after midnight now, so you both need to get home. Get some rest…do homework, whatever you need to keep your mind off all of this." Darren was the first to leave. As soon as Dr. Brinkmeyer got there, he no longer had a need for what he originally came for.

Will hung the remaining costumes on the rack and started packing his bag. "Will, are you okay?"

"Yes, Dr. Brinkmeyer, I am."

"I ah, didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I was just coming around the corner when I heard you two. It sounded like you turned Darren down."

"Yeah, well, I guess I realized that I don't want that anymore."

Dr. Brinkmeyer gave him a small smile as they walked out of the costume room. "I know you won't be surprised at all that I'm happy to hear you say that." Will shook his head and smiled back. He turned off the lights and glanced at Will one more time. "You deserve better, Will, and I'm so glad you finally realized that."

"Thanks, Dr. B.," is all he said as he swung his pack over his shoulder and walked toward his dorm. He was almost home when he heard his phone vibrate. Pulling it from his pocket, he read the words on the screen: "Hey Will...I'm really sorry about tonight..."


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: You have probably read enough of my writing to know that I tend to make things more difficult for the boys before they get better. Well, this is one of those chapters. So, hold on and thanks again for all the follows, favorites and reviews!_

* * *

No matter how many times he paged through textbooks and the online study guides, Sonny could not focus. Tomorrow was the mid-term for his Advanced Journalism class, and he was feeling ill-prepared. He had been to every class, in fact, it was one of his favorites, and he knew a lot of the material. But something kept distracting him….kept pulling his mind away from studying and back to rehearsal that night.

He knew that even though his songs eventually went well, they didn't start that way, and he managed to do the exact opposite of what he intended. He had wanted to make Will proud; instead, his own insecurities got the best of him and he ended up making Will very, very frustrated (not to mention most of the rest of the cast, too). He had kind of been prepared for Will to threaten with one of his cruel singing methods, but he never expected Will to try to yank his tongue right out of his mouth. _Ouch!_ Sonny remembered clearly the pull and the sting he felt once he snapped his head to the side and Will let go. _**I was such a jerk,**_he thought to himself_**. **_He was an ass for yelling, and he was an ass for ignoring everything Will had taught him. Sonny picked up his phone and started a text.

Will pulled his phone from his pocket as soon as it vibrated and hit the message button.

_Hey Will…I'm sorry about tonight. Thank you for getting me back on track. _

_No prob. That's what friends are for right?_

_Yep. Ok. Talk to you later._

_Good night._

Will was so absorbed in texting that he didn't even notice Darren sitting on the steps outside of his building. Will breezed by, clearly distracted, and almost missed him.

"Will?"

"Darren. What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Will you just let me in, please? There are a few things I need to say to you and it's a little chilly out here."

"Fine. But you've got 5 minutes. I have a test to study for and I'm tired." Will let him to the corner of the lobby where there were two empty chairs. He sat down and motioned for Darren to take the other.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"Okay." Will paused and waited for him to continue. He wasn't going to be so quick to forgive, like he usually was.

"I like you as a friend, Will, and I never meant to make you feel used. I thought we were having fun you know, friends with benefits…"

"We were," Will agreed, "I know at first it was fun. But tonight I was overwhelmed and busy and I'd had enough of your games."

"Wow. That's how you see me? Well, I guess I should thank you for telling me that." As Will watched Darren's reaction, he started to notice some imperfections he never saw before. Darren's normally flawless appearance had started to crumble. His hair was messy in a not so cool way, like he had been running his hands through it in frustration. His shirt was half untucked and he actually had something black between his two front teeth. Imagine that! Darren coming to talk without scrutinizing himself in the mirror first.

"Is that all Darren?"

"I suppose it is."

"Well then please excuse me, I have work to do." Will grabbed his bag and headed down the hallway to his room. Just as he was about to unlock the door, his phone rang. He smiled when he saw Sonny's name and picture.

"Sonny?" Will is excited to hear him but worried that something else might be wrong. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because you just sent me text and now you're calling me. I thought something must be wrong."

"Nope. I just had one more thing to say to you and it was too long to try to put into a text message. Wait - I'm sorry...am I bugging you? Were you asleep? Jeez, well you aren't anymore," he babbled on and Will just let him go. Will thought it was awfully cute. Sonny finally got to the point. "I wanted to say that you really are incredible at what you do. I appreciate your help so much, and I didn't want you to think I'm taking you for granted. You and the professor are both amazing and I want the musical to do well; you both deserve the recognition."

"Thanks, Sonny. That's very nice, and it really means a lot ."

"Well," Will heard Sonny pause and clear his throat nervously, "You mean a lot to me, too, Will."

Will froze and didn't quite know what to say. He got a big huge grin on his face and thought about Sonny's hug. Being in his arms was wonderful. Did this really mean what Will thought it did? Was Sonny maybe into him? Will was so entranced by his words that he didn't respond at first.

"Will…Will!" Talk about bad timing. There was Darren again interrupting his conversation while chasing him down the hall. "I need to ask you one more thing…." One more thing? As if he hasn't done enough already – leading him on, fooling around only when he needs something, dropping him anytime anyone else came around, treating him like trash that could easily be discarded. Will shook his head and forgot about Sonny. Darren made him so angry that it took over all of his emotions.

"Will? Are you there?" Sonny's voice was soft and tentative.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry Sonny, but I have to go, okay? I'll talk to you tomorrow." Will hung up and glared at Darren. He was fuming. "I thought I told you I had work to do."

"You did. But I need to know, Will, please? I need to know why you turned me down tonight. It's the first time you or anyone else has done that." Darren pleaded as he watched Will take out his key.

Will looked at him and saw something in his eyes he's never seen before: hurt. And though Darren was a great actor, Will saw the genuine vulnerability in his features and started to feel a little sorry for him.

"Fine," Will unlocked the door and opened it wide for Darren, "come on in."

* * *

Crap, crap, crap, Sonny thought to himself. Brilliant move, Kiriakis. Your little texting conversation went well and then you had to say something to ruin it. _"You mean a lot to me too, Will…" _You just got done telling Joel that you and Will were friends. That your life was too busy to worry about a relationship right now. That you just wanted to make it through to graduation. But no, you let your heart get away from you and you said something to him you shouldn't have ever said. Even if it was true.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly through his window, and it took Will a moment to realize that he had fallen asleep on his bed (not under the covers) and fully clothed (not in his boxers, which was his normal sleeping attire). His bag wasn't unpacked and it was still sitting by his desk, right where he left it last night. The door was locked, so Darren must have made sure to turn the knob before he left. _Ugh. Darren._ Will had never seen him so needy. He just couldn't get over the fact that Will didn't want to be with him anymore. He tried to persuade Will otherwise several more times last night. But Will was sure this was not what he wanted, so Darren had not been successful. Will felt brave and strong turning him away. It was so much better than the feeling he got after they were together…the feeling of being used, of not being good enough, of feeling like a convenience instead of a priority. Maybe now Darren would get the hint and focus his attention on someone else.

Oh shit, Sonny! Will just realized that he left Sonny hanging last night after he said something really sweet. Will had been so frustrated with Darren that he couldn't even comprehend what Sonny said to him. He closed his eyes and replayed that conversation in his head…

_"You and the professor are both amazing and I want the musical to do well, you both deserve the recognition."_

_"Thanks, Sonny. That's very kind, and it really means a lot ."_

_"Well, you mean a lot to me, too, Will." _

Not anymore! He totally, definitely, most certainly, screwed up any chance he had with Sonny at all_. __**How could I not say anything back to him? Why did I let Darren distract me? If I thought I was an asshole during rehearsal…well that was nothing, Horton. **_That didn't even compare to how horrible it was of him to blow Sonny off….to hang up without acknowledging what he said. Without telling Sonny that he felt the same way. Will slumped further down into his bed, silently chastising himself for what he had done. Or rather what he hadn't done. Somehow he needed to salvage this. But how?

* * *

Dr. Brinkmeyer watched carefully that evening as Sonny and Darren avoided Will and Will avoided them both. This was not the direction he had hoped things would go after last night's rehearsal. He thought that Will and Sonny were starting to realize that they had feelings for each other. Then later in the costume shop, Will had turned Darren away cold, which confirmed Dr. Brinkmeyer's suspicions. To the good professor, those were two very positive signs that his get-Will-together-with-Sonny plan was working. But tonight, no one was talking. No one was even making eye contact, and Dr. Brinkmeyer had a feeling that they had once again taken more steps back than forward.

"Will, Sonny," Dr. Brinkmeyer pulled them both aside after rehearsal was over.

They each shuffled their way to center stage, neither venturing even a quick glance at the other.

"Sonny, you need some help with memorizing your lines and delivery. The scene with you and Adelaide before the wedding is awkward, so work on that. The line "they're also all wearing pants..." or something like that, should get a huge laugh. Right now it's not. So, schedule some more lessons you two. You guys worked so well together last night...I don't understand what could have happened in less than 24 hours," he stopped to give them each one last meaningful look. "And please, once and for all, get these issues resolved, okay?"

Dr. Brinkmeyer left the two of them standing next to each other on stage. "Sonny?" Will tentatively glanced at him.

"Yeah," he responded meeting Will's eyes for just a moment.

"I'm really sorry I didn't say anything more to you last night. It's just that Darren was there..."

"Wait, Darren was with you when I called? I asked if you were busy! How come you didn't tell me?"

"Because he was supposed to be gone...but then he came back...anyway, it's a long story. But I blew you off, and I didn't mean to. I wanted to talk to you more."

Sonny couldn't believe that Will was with Darren last night. After everything they went through in their individual lessons and at rehearsal, after they fought and then made up, after sharing those special moments while Sonny was singing...he had thought, and hoped, that maybe Joel was right after all. Maybe Will was into him. But now, he knew that he had been right; Will was still into Darren and nothing was going to change that.

"It's okay, Will, water under the bridge. Let's just schedule some time together in the next couple of days, okay? I'll text you. The show's almost over and then you'll be free of me."

"Sonny, but..." he was going to say that he didn't want to be free of him, but the words got caught in his throat when he saw the cold, empty look on Sonny's face. Will's heart dropped.**_ I've lost my chance..._**

"Good-bye Will. Have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow." And Sonny walked off the stage and out the auditorium without one look back.


	8. Chapter 8

Will looked at his watch and let out another frustrated sigh: 5:20pm. Sonny had texted him early today asking if they could meet at 5pm. Even though it was a bit of a time crunch to get from his last class which ended at 4:30, to the music hall by 5pm, Will agreed because it was just easier that way. Sonny already seemed pissed at him, so why make matters worse by complaining about the time he wanted to meet? It wasn't worth it. And because he knew that he wouldn't have time for dinner, Will made two sandwiches in the afternoon that he kept in a small cooler pack in his bag. Two because he figured Sonny probably wouldn't have time for dinner either.

His stomach growled and he was just about to eat the second sandwich when Sonny arrived. "Um, hi Will. Sorry I'm late." Simple. No excuses.

"Yeah….I was afraid you weren't coming. I was just about ready to pack up and leave." Will tried to sound less angry than he felt.

"I really am sorry. I just…I was running late," Sonny stammered.

"A text telling me that would have been nice."

"Yeah, it would have. I didn't even think of that." Despite how much Will wanted to be mad at Sonny, he couldn't stay that way for long. Especially when Sonny looked so depressed. Will felt bad just watching him as he shuffled around the room, pulled his script out of his bag, and plopped down hard on the chair next to the piano. "Can we run lines, now?"

"No," Will said with authority. "You are going to eat, because I know for a fact that you came right from soccer practice to this rehearsal with me."

Before Sonny could protest, Will grabbed his right hand and put the sandwich he made for him in it. "Uh, no thanks, Will, I'll be fine." He was really being stubborn. Did things between them end that badly last night? Well, Sonny did say to Will that soon he'd be "rid of him" and then Sonny left without saying good-bye. It was going to be a long couple of weeks in rehearsal if things didn't start to turn around.

"You are eating it and that's an order! You are hungry, Sonny, don't be so belligerent. It's roast beef and cheddar, I'm sure you'll like it."

Will let go of the sandwich and it slipped right out of Sonny's hand, heading towards the floor. Thankfully Sonny had fantastic reflexes; the small plastic bag landed directly on top of his foot, which he used to propel it back up into the air, and then caught it with his left hand.

"Impressive," Will smiled at him, hoping for a smile back. "All those years playing soccer finally paid off, huh?" Will teased lightly. Sonny didn't laugh or really even smile, but he did finally make eye contact with him. And Will thought he saw Sonny's lips, though still closed, turn up just a tiny bit at the corners. Will felt a glimmer of hope that all was not completely lost.

Sonny slowly unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite. "Did you want some?" he mumbled with a full mouth.

"I already had one, but thanks."

Swallowing, Sonny looked Will in the eye once again. "You made two sandwiches?"

"Yes. When you said to meet at 5pm, I figured I wouldn't be the only one who'd have to skip dinner to make it on time. So, I made a sandwich for you, too. Oh, and here's some water." Will pulled a bottle from his back pack. Sonny took a gulp.

"Thanks, Will. That was nice of you." He went back to his sandwich.

"Sure…it was no problem. I was making one for myself, so…ah…anyway, I didn't mind making an extra for a friend." Will purposely used the "friend" word to see how Sonny would react.

"That's what we are? Friends?"

"Yes. I mean, I hope we are. " Will looked at him hesitantly.

"It's just after I called you the other night…and you didn't say anything back to me, I figured that I was just another member of the cast to you….you know, stuck working with me outside of rehearsal time because I'm having trouble with practically everything I have to do for this stupid role…"

"Stop, Sonny. That's not true. And I really wanted to talk to you longer on the phone, but Darren was being so persistent."

"Why were you with him? I mean I know you guys have history, but don't you get tired of his games?"

"Yes….as a matter of fact, that's why Darren was with me when you called."

Sonny frowned. "I'm not sure I get what you're saying, Will."

"Okay, um, over the last year Darren and I have had sort of an agreement. Um, neither of us wanted the complications of a relationship, but we were both attracted to each other, so we fooled around with no commitment. I suppose the big difference was that he was the only one I had this arrangement with…but I wasn't the only one he had an arrangement with. You know his reputation; Darren is pretty…ah…open? Flexible?"

"Yeah. One of the reasons I've stayed away from him."

"Right. Well, for a while now I haven't been happy with our agreement, and so when he approached me the other night in the dressing room after everyone was gone, I…ah…turned him down."

"You turned him down?" Sonny was genuinely surprised.

"Yes, I did." Will replied almost proudly.

"Okay, so if you didn't hook up, then why were you two still together when I called?"

"Well, that's Darren for you. He doesn't deal with rejection very well….or really at all…and so he sat outside of my dorm until I got home. He said he wanted to talk. That was after I got your text but before your call." Sonny nodded in understanding.

Will went back to the moment Monday night when he saw that Sonny was calling him. He was happy, even excited to talk to him. He didn't even remember the last time he felt like that just from a phone call. And then Darren came running down the hall, yelling for him, and Will's frustration totally took over.

"So, after we talked and I assured him that I didn't want to be with him, I headed to my room. That's when you called. I answered and just as we were talking, Darren came running down the hallway, shouting my name. So, I really wasn't busy when you asked, but then Darren showed up again. I'd had it at that point and lost it. I was so furious that I couldn't even focus on what you were saying, Sonny. I'm really, really sorry I blew you off."

"So, did Darren finally get the message?" he asked quietly.

"I hope so. He just cannot accept that I don't want to mess around with him anymore. He probably hasn't ever been turned down like that. He was really upset. I struggle to understand that, though….he never seemed to care what I thought before when he was sleeping around with everyone in the theatre department."

Sonny was pensive. "Maybe, Will, he realized that he does care for you…that he has feelings for you."

"I don't think so Sonny. Darren only cares for himself. I think he was upset because for once he didn't get what he wanted. It was like he was having a temper tantrum."

The picture he got in his head finally made Sonny crack a smile. And the more they visualized Darren having a tantrum, the more they both laughed. "I'm taking my toys and going home," Sonny mimicked and pretended to leave.

"That's almost what it was like, really! Except this toy wasn't going anywhere." Will suddenly got serious.

"You are not a toy, Will." Sonny reached over and lightly touched his arm, leaving his hand there.

"I know. But some parts of it weren't too bad. And no, I don't mean the blow job part."

Sonny was slightly taken aback by Will's bluntness. "Okay..."

"The part of still being free, not having to answer to anyone, being able to do what I want, when I want without worrying about what someone else would think. In a way, I thought it would be perfect. At least that's what I thought in the beginning."

"So what changed?"

"Me, I guess," Will shrugged his shoulders resolutely. "There was one time when Darren found me in the rehearsal room writing. He sidled up to me like he usually did and started kissing me on the neck, reaching under my shirt..." Sonny's eyes got wide. "So, I turned around on the piano bench and kissed him. That's when I noticed his neck and chest covered with marks. He had these hickeys, like dark bruises all down his neck and collarbone. I knew then that right before he came to me, he had been with someone else. And I felt so cheap and dirty."

"So, you sent him away?" Sonny inquired earnestly. Will got very quiet. Sonny watched him as his shoulders slumped and his eyes closed briefly.

"No." Silence. "We hooked up, and I've never felt worse in my life." Sonny gave Will the time and space to continue. "I think my mindset changed that day…but I didn't have the strength or the balls to tell him. The attention and the excitement of a quickie with him was too powerful for me to resist. It was this high I would feel, you know that I was important, special, good enough for this theatre star, and then I'd crash when it was over and would get really lonely. And so critical of myself. When the chance would come up again for that high, I'd take it rationalizing that it was worth how horrible I'd feel later. But it's not. And then you said something to me a while ago that I kept thinking about; you said that I shouldn't be compromising what I want. That I deserve better. And I'm finally starting to believe it."

Sonny could only smile. He had helped Will stand up to Darren. He _was_ a good friend, wasn't he.

"I wanted to tell you about it that night, but it didn't work out that way. I'm sorry. I never meant for you to think that I didn't care. In fact I do, a lot." Will twisted his mouth up in a slight grin. There. He finally said it. Well, most of it.

"Thanks, Will," Sonny whispered, his voice filled with emotion. And his perfect, good-enough-for-a-toothpaste-commercial smile lit up his face for the first time in days.

"So, are we good now?" Will had said mostly all of what he wanted to say, even though there was more he could have said. But for now, this felt right and they did need to get to the practicing part after all.

"We are. Thanks, Will. Now, please help me with the Lt. Brannigan conversation. Everyone says it should be really funny, but I'm having a hard time articulating it in a way that works. This acting stuff is harder than I thought. I mean how do you do it? I don't' like Darren but I have to be buddies with him in parts of the show; Anna drives me nuts but I need to find a way to look at her like I care."

"Yeah. It can be hard. Don't worry, I'll give you a couple of exercises that might help. But first, let's run your Lt. Brannigan lines."

* * *

Twenty minutes later Sonny had figured out how he wanted to deliver his lines so that they should get big laughs. Will thought he was doing great and asked Sonny what they should work on next. "Well, I really do need some help with several scenes I have with Anna. Not only am I having a hard time trying to look like I like her, but I feel I'm tensing up, and it seems harder to sing."

"Show me where you feel tense?"

Sonny motioned to his jaw, his neck and his shoulders.

"I think I know what's going on. And I have a good exercise for you to do….if you are up for another one of my crazy singing techniques. You game?"

"I might regret saying this, but sure, I'm game. Even though the other two methods we tried felt ridiculous, they worked, so I'm willing to give it a try." The twinkle in Sonny's eyes returned, and he winked at Will.

"Okay then, lay on the floor on your back."

Sonny rolled his eyes at Will and mumbled, "I knew I was going to regret this…"

"Hey, none of that! Give me a chance, will you?" And though Will totally meant that statement about the singing exercise, he hoped deep down that Sonny might give him a chance in another way too. Because finally he was willing to admit, after rehearsals and private lessons and lots and lots of talking, that he liked Sonny. And that "like" went beyond friendship. And he had a feeling that Sonny felt the same way; _you mean a lot to me, too…_Sonny had confessed. Will knew though, that they needed to give it some time. They did just mend their friendship once again. Plus, performance week was drawing near, and they could not handle another incident similar to what happened over the last few nights. Will and Sonny needed to get along and stay focused on making this the best show they could.

"Earth to Will…" Sonny broke into Will's thoughts. "…I've been here on the floor for a couple minutes now waiting for you to tell me what to do. Or should I just get back up?"

"No, no, no! Don't you dare." Will commanded. "Okay, when you watch people sing, or if for instance, I watched you sing, what would I see your body doing while you're singing?"

"Do you mean like my mouth opens? Or like when I sway a little because I lock my knees?"

"Both. You said your jaw was sore, and we've already established that you don't always relax and open your mouth wide enough when you sing. But we've been working on that, and you seem to be improving. What else do you see move when someone sings?"

"Umm, you can see them breathing, see their chest rising and falling with each breath."

"Yep. And what I see a lot and suspect is causing your shoulders to be sore, is the fact that you are not fully breathing from your diaphragm."

"Okay, so how is laying on the floor going to help me?"

"Take a breath, right now. Focus on taking a deep breath and filling your lungs as much as possible." He watched as Sonny did this. "Now, place your hands on your stomach and take one more deep breath. What do you feel?"

"My stomach is moving my hands."

"Exactly!" Will said excitedly. "When you see singers' chests moving a lot, that usually means that they are lifting their upper body when they breathe in. If your chest rises and falls noticeably, then chances are your shoulders are going with it. And you'll never get a deep enough breath that way. Breathing should come completely from your diaphragm. And when you lay on the floor on your back, you can't really raise your chest and shoulders when you inhale. It forces you to breathe from your gut. Which is why your hands moved. That type of breathing will give you the most support and the most stamina when you sing."

Will watched Sonny breathe in and out several more times, getting used to the feeling of breathing this way. After a few minutes Sonny stopped and sat up, propping himself on his hands. "You're amazing, you know?"

Will felt his stomach knot up a bit at the compliment. He imagined he was probably blushing, too. "No, Sonny, I'm just using what my voice teachers have taught me over the years," he brushed it off quickly.

"No, Will, you're not dodging my compliment this time. Regardless of whether or not your teachers taught you this stuff, it doesn't matter. You have such a great way of communicating it. You describe each feeling, each process so that I completely understand. And you get me to come up with answers on my own. You get so excited when I have those epiphany moments, and I just can't help but get excited too. The techniques might not be yours but the teaching is. And you're an amazing teacher." Sonny held Will's gaze and smiled. This time he accepted the kind words.

"Thank you, Sonny. Truly, that's great to hear. But you're also not too bad of a student…" Will paused for moment, "except when you refuse to open your mouth when you sing or when you fight me when I tell you to lay down on the floor. Other than those issues, you're just fine." Will managed to say all of that with a straight face. It wasn't until Sonny burst out laughing that Will released his own laughter. "Seriously, though" he said after they both calmed down, "you are a good student, Sonny. You have come so far since you first auditioned."

"All thanks to you."

"Well, you had to put the work in."

"Fine. We did it together then. We make a pretty good team."

"Yes we do." Sonny said simply, watching Will watch him. Their eyes were glued to each other's, and they just stared, neither wanting to break the moment. Sonny thought maybe this was the time he should reiterate to Will what he'd said on the phone, that he meant a lot to him. He wanted to tell Will that "meant a lot" was his way of saying "I really like you" and both of those phrases were absolutely referring to more than friendship. Sonny wondered if he should get up and hug Will again. He could see then if the feeling he got the other night, the tingling throughout all of his body when they touched, was still there. Just as he was getting ready to stand, Will's phone went off.

"Guess what? It's five to 7pm, and we need to get to rehearsal."

"Wow! Time went fast. I'm not sure we got everything done that we were supposed to." Will reached down and offered Sonny help in getting up.

"Well, I can do the same time tomorrow if you want? We can work Anna dialogue exclusively."

Sonny smiled and held on to Will's hand just a little bit longer even after he was upright. "That would be great, Will." And he squeezed his hand slightly before letting it go. "But I'm bringing dinner tomorrow night."

"You got it!" Will grinned widely and opened the door to the practice room. "Can you try to be on time tomorrow, please?" Will teased.

Sonny bumped him on the shoulder lightly as he walked by. "Oh, I'll be on time, don't you worry."

"Good. I'm counting on you." They exchanged smiles and made their way to the auditorium for rehearsal.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Finally - chapter 9! Many thanks again to all of you for your comments and support. I continue to LOVE hearing from you. Oh and to all who asked, you are **certainly** **not** the only one who tried singing with 3 fingers in your mouth. Many, many have. ;-)_

* * *

"Yes Grandma, I'm sorry. Yes, I'll be better about staying in touch with you. No! I don't want to endure your wrath if I don't…or Great Grandma's for that matter. I promise I'll call every week just to check in. Okay?" Sonny arrived a couple of minutes before 5pm and heard Will on the phone. Not wanting to intrude, he waited in the hallway until Will finished his conversation. "I love you too Grandma. Talk to you next week." Will set his phone on the piano and took in a deep breath. It felt really good to talk to her and catch up on family news. His brother and sisters were growing up fast and were into so many activities. He missed all of them very much.

"Will! Are you ready to rehearse?" Sonny popped his head in the doorway of the practice room.

Will was still staring at his phone, standing in the corner beside the piano. His head jerked up when Sonny appeared in the doorway. He jumped when Sonny's backpack loudly hit the top of the piano bench and the thud reverberated around the small room. "Jeez, Sonny! You just scared the crap out of me! "

"Sorry, Will. I just heard you finishing up your phone call and thought you'd be ready for me. I should have given you a little time. Sorry about that." He looked at Will apologetically. "Forgive me? I brought dinner…" and he dangled what looked like a take out bag in front of Will's face.

"Of course, Sonny. No need to apologize…I'm the one who left the door open. Yummm…" Will sniffed, "whatever you brought smells delicious!"

Sonny started unloading the brown paper bag that held their dinner. "Here you go. Lo Mein with beef or shrimp?"

"My favorite! Doesn't matter to me, I love both."

"Good! I do, too. So we can swap half way, how does that sound? We can each have both then." Sonny smiled and handed Will one of the boxes and some chopsticks. Will held his gaze for a moment, trying to gauge whether the attraction he felt so strongly yesterday during their individual practice was still there today. As he grabbed the box of food, Will's fingers brushed Sonny's slightly and the tingling began. **_Yep_,** Will thought to himself, **_still there._**

"Thanks," Will blushed a little and dug in.

"So, do you want to talk about the call?" Sonny inquired with a piece of shrimp suspended near his mouth. Will watched as Sonny snaked his tongue out to grab it.

Will's breath caught in his throat just at the sight of Sonny's tongue. **_Get a grip, Will._ _It's going to be a long rehearsal if I react like that to every move he makes._** Will pulled his thoughts together, shook his head hoping that would help clear his mind and took a bite of his own food. He cleared his throat. "Nah, we've got rehearsing to do."

"Um, yeah, but we can't rehearse while we eat right?"

"Good point. By the way, this is really good. How did you have time between practice and here to pick it up?"

"I didn't. My friend Joel did. He and his girlfriend went there for an early dinner, so I asked him to place our order when they were about ready to leave. So, he brought it to me at my car after practice, and here I am." Sonny reached in his pack for the drinks he brought. "Water okay?"

"Yep. It's perfect." Will responded taking another bite of his lo Mein.

"So, the phone call?"

"Oh yeah. That was my Grandma. She's my mom's mom, and she helped me and my dad out a lot with the kids when they were younger."

Sonny looked puzzled. "What do you mean when you say 'helped'?"

"You know my younger brother Johnny, right? Well, I have two other siblings – sisters. One is Johnny's twin and the other is in between us." Will paused for a moment trying to figure out how much he wanted to tell. It was really easy talking to Sonny, and it did feel good to finally feel comfortable enough with someone to share this part of his life. Will met Sonny's eyes, and he nodded his encouragement.

"Umm, my Mom worked a lot when I was younger, so my Dad was the one to take me to school, be at parent events, come to my practices and games. He was there every Saturday on the sidelines cheering for me. Like my brother, I was not good at soccer, but I did love running. And my Dad encouraged me and always said that I "played a good game". My sister Allie is 5 years younger than me, and Dad was the same way to her – supportive, involved, such a great Dad – until Mom got pregnant with the twins." Will stopped to take a drink of water.

"What changed when your Mom got pregnant?" Sonny asked softly.

"It's more like, what didn't change. She had a rough pregnancy from the beginning, and she took all her pain and frustration out on my dad. She'd yell at him constantly, make him stay home with her instead of going to our activities. One time the fighting got so bad that Mom threw a bedside table lamp at him. I was glad I was the only kid home, because it was a horrible scene. My Dad was yelling because the shattered base cut his leg, Mom's screaming but now she's crying, too and the lamp crashing to the floor sounded so profound, I felt like it shook the whole house like an earthquake. I rushed into their bedroom and was immediately told to get out. It was so heartbreaking to see them like that. Anyway, a couple of months later the twins were born, both happy, healthy little babies. I was smitten as soon as I saw them." Will smiled and his eyes shined brightly at the memory. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this was a major turning point for Will.

"Mom and Dad brought them home from the hospital within a couple of days, and everyone seemed so excited. I was sure our rough times were over. But they weren't." Will's smile disappeared and his eyes clouded. Sonny saw pain clearly written all over Will's face. " My Mom continued to use my Dad as her personal punching bag, and my Dad spent less and less time with us kids. One day Allie and I came home from school, and Dad told us that Mom was gone. I didn't understand. "When is she coming back?" I was the first to ask." Will took a deep breath. "My Dad said: 'Never.' Just like that. And I couldn't believe it. "

"Will, that sounds so hard." Sonny couldn't keep his eyes off of Will as he weaved in and out of so many different emotions. He reached out and lightly set his hand on Will's.

"It was. My dad worked a lot of hours to make up for the loss of Mom's income and us kids got bounced from relative to relative. That's where Grandma stepped in and tried to keep us together. Her being a therapist didn't hurt either, I always felt comfortable talking to her. I still do."

"It's important that everyone have someone they feel completely comfortable talking to, Will. It's good that you have your Grandma."

"It's good that I have you, too. I-I mean thank you for being my friend." Will stumbled over his words.

Sonny locked eyes with Will and squeezed the hand he was still holding. "You do have me, Will." And they both let that declaration hang there in the air.

Will smiled, squeezed Sonny's hand back and released it to take a few more bites of his dinner. Then without any discussion, he exchanged his lo Mein with Sonny's. Not missing a beat they switched boxes and kept right on eating.

"Thank you, Sonny. You have no idea how much that means to me. But as for my Grandma, I've really been a crappy grandson lately. I haven't talked to her in over a month." Will hung his head.

"Sometimes life gets in the way, Will."

"That's what I've always told myself. But I should have made more time for her. I was being stubborn. Seeing Johnny a couple of weeks ago triggered so many memories and made me feel totally rotten for not knowing that my own brother practiced here every week." Will's head was still down.

Sonny gently reached out and touched Will's chin, making Will lift his eyes to Sonny's. "You can't blame yourself for everything, Will. Where's your Dad in all of this?"

"Dad and I don't talk."

"At all?" Sonny inquired quietly.

"At. All." Will punctuated those two words so forcefully that Sonny opened his eyes wide with surprise. "Here's how the story goes in a nutshell: Mom & Dad fight constantly during her pregnancy with the twins, Mom leaves us after they are born, I blame Dad for her leaving because I don't know any better, our relationship becomes extremely strained, I drop out of soccer and tennis, which pisses off my Dad even more and I join the choir and theatre club. He's already having enough trouble with accepting me like that, and then I go make the announcement that I'm gay. You can imagine how well that went over."

"You were only being true to yourself, Will…"

"I know that. I just feel like at the time, I used them as weapons against my Dad. Like I wanted to push us further apart instead of bring us closer together. We haven't actually said one word to each other since I moved out of the house over 3 years ago."

Sonny chewed on a piece of beef and watched Will for a while as he played with his food distractedly. Sonny couldn't imagine not having a relationship with his own father. Sonny couldn't imagine not having a relationship with anyone in his family. Sure, they made him mad sometimes, but not enough to make him walk away entirely. The Kiriakis family had fiery tempers, that's for sure, but they also forgave easily.

"Do you see that ever changing, Will? Do you want that to change?"

"I don't know Son, I mean it's been 3 years. Where would I even begin? It's just too overwhelming for me to think about right now."

Sonny nodded his head in agreement. "Well, I'm just going to say this and be done: you are a very talented guy and I think it's a shame your family can't see how amazing you are. I do."

"Thanks," Will whispered, the depth of all these emotions getting the best of him. He wiped the dampness from his eyes and put on a serious face. "We better get rehearsing. Dr. Brinkmeyer will need to see some improvement tonight during your Nathan/Adelaide scenes otherwise he's going to wonder if we've really been working during our rehearsals together." Will meant it jokingly, but then he realized that it probably didn't sound that way. "Sorry..." he started but Sonny interrupted him.

"No Will, don't be. Whether we were technically 'rehearsing' or not, I know that every moment I've spent with you has helped me one way or another...with confidence, breath support, lines, trust...I think you're pretty much the only reason I didn't quit after that first week."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't. No matter what the reason. You're good, Sonny, so let's work on making you great, okay?"

Sonny and Will ran lines and scenes for quite a while until Sonny felt more comfortable. Each time, though, he'd get hung up whenever he had to get close or more intimate with Anna. Sonny tried and tried, but he still found Anna annoying and still couldn't touch her hand or kiss her cheek without a grimace taking over his face.

"Will, don't you have one of your silly exercises we can do to help me with this?"

"Well, you must be pretty desperate there Sonny to request one of my 'silly exercises' as you put it." They both chuckled.

"I am, Will. I'm doing so well in other parts, and I don't want to ruin it by looking at Adelaide like I'm disgusted with her instead of in love with her." He threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Okay, Sonny. Set your script down. Close your eyes and relax." Sonny quickly obeyed. "Think about times when you are really happy. Maybe it's playing soccer or hanging out with your teammates or whatever. How do you feel?"

"Nice. I'm laughing and having fun."

"Good. Now picture you're hanging out with a good friend or maybe one of your brothers, someone you feel very close to. You are having dinner or maybe a drink, and you're so comfortable being there with him. Now instead you are there on a date or with someone you care about as more than a friend." Sonny nodded, keeping his eyes closed. Will continued, "look into his eyes. See the depth of his feelings there. Feel the magnetism between the two of you...pulling you together. Know that his feelings for you are just as strong as yours are for him. Everything is not always perfect, but you care about each other too much to let it get in the way. You with me still, Sonny?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Now picture yourself kissing him. Your hands touch first and then your lips, and it's electric." Will's voice cracked a little at the intensity of what he was saying. How he longed to have this with someone. How he wanted that someone to be Sonny.

"Look at me." Sonny's eyes fluttered open. "How did that feel to you?"

"It was great, Will. I totally didn't see Anna during any of that. I think I might actually be able to visualize that she's someone different...and make the kiss believable." He grinned at Will, amazed that he had helped him once again.

"Yay! I'm happy to hear that. So, you won't be able to take all the time we did to get you there, but maybe just close your eyes for a second and see the person you want to kiss. Go ahead. Let's try it."

Sonny closed his eyes once again. "The person standing in front of you is the one you want to kiss," Will said softly. Sonny listened to Will's words, to his breathing, and focused on the deep blue depths of his eyes. He pictured Will's hair, his dark eyebrows and eyelashes, how cute he was when he blushed. Sonny's thoughts went to Will's lips, full, smooth, pink...and then they went to Will's broad shoulders, his narrow waist, his muscular legs and how his butt looked in those tight jeans. Sonny's eyes suddenly flew open.

"You okay, Sonny? Go on, go back and close your eyes." Except Sonny didn't. He just stood there and stared at Will, brown eyes boring intensely into blue. Sonny couldn't look away. The realization of his feelings was far too strong.

"C'mon, Sonny! You want this to work right?"

"But what if I don't have to close my eyes to picture the person I want to kiss?"

"Well, that's even better Sonny! That will make it much easier in the actual show."

"No, Will, that's not what I mean." Sonny still didn't take his eyes from Will's.

"I don't get it."

"I don't have to close my eyes to picture the person I want to kiss, because the person I want to kiss is standing right in front of me."

Will's breath caught in his throat, and he starting trembling. "He is?" Will asked, his voice barely audible.

"Yes, he is. And I want to know if this person wants to kiss me back...if he feels the same way I do." Sonny stepped forward and brushed his thumb against the softness of Will's cheek. Will's eyes fell shut just briefly before he opened them again to Sonny's mesmerizing gaze.

"He does. I mean, I do." Will felt Sonny's breath on his face as he moved closer and closer and wrapped both hands around Will's waist.

"Will," Sonny said brokenly, and they rested their foreheads together.

"Sonny," Will was just as breathless and overcome with want as Sonny. They inched closer together, eyes never leaving the others, lips just about meeting...when Will's alarm went off with astounding volume.

"Shit," they both said simultaneously.

"Oh gosh, Sonny," Will said awkwardly, looking at his alarm. "We gotta go, we're going to be late!" And he started scrambling aimlessly trying to pack up his bag. Sonny stepped in and stopped him briefly putting a hand on his chest.

"Will, this isn't over you know. Can we return to this conversation later?" Sonny looked at Will pleadingly.

"Sure, Sonny. Now let's go or we're going to be late for rehearsal!" Will rushed out of the room, leaving Sonny still frozen to his spot. Seconds later, Will popped back in and grabbed Sonny's hand, smiling widely. "C'mon!" And they ran to the auditorium together.


	10. Chapter 10

"Will…Will!" Dr. Brinkmeyer jarred him out of his daydreaming. Will brought his head up sharply and met Dr. Brinkmeyer's eyes.

"Um, what?"

The professor gave him a knowing smile. "Darren asked for a line."

"You're kidding, right?" and he looked from Dr. Brinkmeyer to Darren. "**You** called for a line?" Will was incredulous. Darren always knew the script backwards and forwards. In fact, Will was sure he had never heard Darren ask for a line ever before.

"Yes, Will," replied a highly annoyed Darren, "so snap out of la-la land and give me my line, okay?"

Will glanced quickly at Sonny, who could only shrug his shoulders, and then gave Darren his requested line. The scene continued on.

Dr. Brinkmeyer walked over by Will, sat down next to him and whispered, "You okay, Will? You seemed a little out of it there for a moment."

"Yeah, I'm great, actually," and he once again looked at Sonny, this time without even realizing it.

The professor's eyes followed his. "I see," and he winked at Will.

Will smiled and quickly changed the subject. "What the hell was that with Darren? He never asks for a line."

"I am only guessing here Will, but I think perhaps he saw that you were distracted and felt it was his duty to get you back on track."

"Seriously?" Will didn't completely understand.

"What I think is that I'm not the only one who saw you come running into rehearsal holding Sonny's hand."

Will couldn't help but smile at the memory. For the second day in a row, they had been interrupted by his alarm. Both days they were close to making real progress – not with the show – but with their feelings towards each other. Today, who knows what would have happened if he had just turned that stupid alarm off. But they really did need to be at rehearsal on time; they were getting down to the last weeks before opening night. So, it was for the best. Plus, Will hoped they would be able to pick up right where they left off once rehearsal was over.

Will 's thoughts jumped to Darren. Why should Darren care if he's holding Sonny's hand? And what was with Darren waiting for him at his dorm room the other night? Begging to talk? "Well, he's been acting very odd lately. Quite out of character for Darren," he whispered back to Dr. Brinkmeyer.

"Well, from the looks of it," he motioned to Darren on stage who was now antagonizing Sonny, bumping into him a little harder than necessary for that part of the scene, "he's just getting started."

"Shit," Will said under his breath.

"I suggest you have a conversation with Darren over the next break. Otherwise, I'm afraid this rehearsal is going to be really rough. We'll break in about 10 minutes." The professor stood to leave. "Will, you seem happy. I hope this has something to do with Sonny, and you don't have to tell me, I respect your privacy, but he seems to appreciate you, Will. That's really great to see."

Will nodded slowly but his eyes twinkled at the mention of Sonny's name. "Let's just say that things are going well. And we'll have to wait and see about the rest."

"Good," Dr. Brinkmeyer said as he left to resume his place near the back of the room.

At break time, Sonny sought out Will. "Can we, ah, talk?"

"Yes," Will said to Sonny reaching out to touch his arm, "but first I have something I need to say to Darren."

Sonny raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Okay," he said simply, feeling a little uncertain.

"Don't worry, Sonny, we'll talk. Whether it's this break or the next one or after rehearsal, it's really important that we talk about things…about us."

That pacified Sonny who smiled, squeezed Will's hand and headed off in the opposite direction. Will watched him leave and then turned his focus back to Darren. "Hey, Darren."

"Yes, Will," he flashed a dazzling smile.

"Can I have a couple minutes alone with you to talk, please?"

"Sure. You can get me alone anytime, Horton," he said with an over exaggerated wink.

"Enough, Darren, okay. What I want to talk to you about is serious." Will rolled his eyes as Darren sauntered over his way.

"Serious, huh?"

"Yes. So, sit down and just listen, okay?" Will didn't let him get another word in. "I just wanted to clarify something – you know, I thought we had already – but I feel like I need to reiterate that I am not interested in you anymore. I do not wish to fool around or hook up with you. From now on we are friends only – no more benefits. Am I clear?"

Darren was taken aback by Will's candidness. His eyebrows shot up into his hairline and his grin turned into a snarl. "Let me guess," he said bitterly, "it's because of Sonny."

Will paused and gathered his thoughts before answering. "Part of it is. Part of it isn't. Yes, I am interested in Sonny and want to pursue that. But the other part is just me, finally learning to accept only the best, surrounding myself with people who genuinely care about me and my well-being, and who make me feel good about myself. I'm being totally honest here Darren when I say that far too many times after being with you, I felt like I hated myself." Will watched as Darren's snarl morphed into shock and sadness. "So, regardless of what goes on with Sonny, I don't want to be your play toy, your second choice, or the boomerang that always keeps coming back. The truth is, I'd rather be alone than be with someone who doesn't love me."

"O-okay, Will," Darren stuttered a little. For once he seemed sincere. "You go after what you want; I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Darren."

"But when it doesn't work out, Will, you can come back to me, you know. I'll make myself available for you." And just like that, the sincerity was gone and the arrogance was back.

"Actually, I don't think I'll ever be needing your services again, Darren." Will replied very matter-of-factly. "So, I will try to be as professional as possible during rehearsals as long as you do, too."

"What's that supposed to mean? What are you insinuating?"

"Darren, you know as well as I do that you never need to call for line help. That earlier was an attempt to get my attention because it didn't seem to be on you." Will crossed his arms and waited for a response.

"Fine. Well, I guess I'll just need to find someone else who likes to play. I bet Sonny would be up for it…."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Will stated, not taking his eyes from Darren's.

"Is that so?" Darren countered taking a step towards Will. Will stood his ground and didn't move.

"Knowing you, Darren, it's not going to matter what I say anyway. You gotta try everything out for yourself. And that's fine. Just know this, you are talented and gorgeous, but those two qualities will never get you what you really want, Darren."

"What do you mean, Will, what I really want?" Darren looked very puzzled.

"I think that's what you need to figure out for yourself." And with that, Will grabbed his water bottle and headed out of the auditorium, leaving Darren standing there, speechless and alone.

* * *

Sonny saw Will coming down the hall towards the water cooler. "So, how did things go with Darren?"

"Well, let's just say that I don't think he'll be talking or flirting with me much anymore."

"Um, is that what you want, Will?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, Sonny, that's exactly what I want." Will smiled at him confidently. "Regardless of what happens, you know, with…well, let's just say that I have a much better idea of what I want now. And it's certainly not Darren." His smile got bigger and his eyes lit up as he held Sonny's gaze intensely.

Sonny blushed just a little. "Really? I'm hoping maybe I have something to do with that?" Will thought there was simply nothing more adorable than Sonny playing shy. It made him want to throw his arms around him and bury his fingers in Sonny's thick, dark hair. But all they had done so far was talk about kissing…they hadn't actually done it. So, Will decided it best to wait until they had at least taken that step.

"You do," Will acknowledged honestly, "but it's me, too. I'm not settling anymore." All Sonny could do was smile.

"Break's over! Act 2, scene 1 is up next. All actors to the stage." Natalie, the stage manager, announced over the intercom.

"We better get back in." Sonny started towards the auditorium and turned back around to Will. "I really do want to talk with you more…."

"I do, too," Will agreed. "How about we grab some coffee and maybe go back to my place for a little while after rehearsal?"

Sonny beamed. "That would be great, Will."

* * *

_"Nathan, then why can't we elope right now?" _

_"Because, well, I gotta go to a prayer meeting."_

_"Nathan, that is the biggest lie you ever told me…."_

_"But I promise you, it's true."_

Anna and Sonny were both doing wonderfully and the opening bars to "Sue Me" floated through the air as they positioned themselves closer together.

Sonny sang sweetly_," Call a lawyer and sue me, sue me, what can you do me, I love you. Give a holler and hate me, hate me, go ahead, hate me, I love you."_

_"You're at it again, you're running the game. I'm not gonna play second fiddle to that. And I'm sick and tired of strolling around and I'm telling you now that we're through…"_

_"Sue me, sue me, shoot bullets through me, I love you."_ Sonny finished and leaned in to kiss Anna. Just as he got close enough to her, he shook his head, barely brushed his lips against her cheek and quickly stepped away.

"CUT!" rang out in the auditorium. They all looked to Dr. Brinkmeyer as that's whose voice rumbled through the silence.

"Sonny, did you run this song and scene with Will during your individual practice?" he asked almost accusingly.

"Yes sir, we did. Several times." Sonny responded nervously bouncing his knee.

"And how did it go?"

"Very well, Dr. Brinkmeyer. Each time."

"Then why did you just look like you were going to throw up on Anna? You were singing 'I love you' but your facial expressions and body language didn't say that at all. And I thought we decided that Nathan should give Adelaide a nice, tender kiss on the lips after this song is done? Instead we get barely a kiss on the cheek? We need to run this again." The professor glared at Sonny briefly before his eyes settled on Will. "I have an even better idea," Dr. Brinkmeyer changed his mind, still staring at Will. "Will, get up there with Sonny. If it went so well with the two of you during your practices, well, then let's see it here."

"No, Dr. Brinkmeyer…he doesn't need me. He'll do better next time, right Sonny?" Will stammered awkwardly trying desperately to get the professor to change his mind. It's not that Will didn't want to be Adelaide to Sonny's Nathan, it's just that being that close to Sonny, on stage, in front of everyone, was sure to make them both even more nervous.

"Will, I don't have time to argue with you. Now get up there with Sonny. Let's start from the top again, Will…from Adelaide's first line."

Will climbed the stairs and took his place next to Sonny on stage right. In his best falsetto and New York accent, he started:

_"Nathan, then why can't we elope right now?" _The entire cast, including Sonny, started laughing. Will gave them his best Adelaide-attitude and pretended to flip his hair. "What are you all staring at?" he demanded with an added nasal tone that had them all laughing even harder.

"Well done, Will," Dr. Brinkmeyer said with a smirk. He let their laughter fade out. "Everyone quiet now, we need to finish running this scene."

Sonny/Nathan:_ "Because, well, I gotta go to a prayer meeting."_

Will/Adelaide:_ "Nathan, that is the biggest lie you ever told me…."_

Sonny/Nathan:_ "But I promise you, it's true."_

Sonny looked at Will, who was playing a pretty convincing Adelaide, and tried to focus on staying in character. _" Call a lawyer and sue me, sue me, what can you do me, I love you. Give a holler and hate me, hate me, go ahead, hate me, I love you."_

_"You're at it again, you're running the game. I'm not gonna play second fiddle to that. And I'm sick and tired of strolling around and I'm telling you now that we're through…" _Will pouted and turned away from Sonny.

Sonny walked over towards Will and touched him lightly on the arm to turn him back around. Looking deeply into Will's blue eyes, which were shiny and alert, he sang the last words of the song. _"Sue me, sue me, shoot bullets through me, I love you."_ The two continued to hold the other's gaze and then, just as Sonny was directed, he leaned in, raised his hand to gently cup Will's cheek, and placed his lips softly against Will's. As if no one else was there with them, Will stepped in even closer, wrapped one arm around Sonny's neck and pressed his lips a little harder against Sonny's. It was mere seconds, that kiss, but it was so sweet, so heartfelt, so genuine that it took everyone's breath away. Especially Will and Sonny's.

"CUT!" Dr. Brinkmeyer yelled once again. The entire cast, except for Will and Sonny who couldn't pull their eyes away from each other, looked questioningly at Dr. Brinkmeyer. No one knew what he was going to say after that.

After a dramatic pause, he spoke quietly, "Well done guys. Now let's reset this and run the whole scene with Anna, please."

As everyone started to move around, some whispering about what just happened, some talking about everything _but_ what just happened, Will and Sonny finally broke their trance and smiled a little nervously.

"That was nice, Sonny, actually pretty perfect." Will spoke first, and he could feel the blush rising up onto his cheeks.

"It really was, Will." He shuffled his feet a bit and grabbed his lower lip with his teeth.

"So, now you just have to do that with Anna."

"Trust me, Will, it will never feel like that with Anna." He said meaningfully.

"Well," Will smiled at Sonny's confession, "I have to admit that I'm glad to hear that. But you at least need to come kind of close to that with her, okay?"

"Okay, Will, I'm just going to close my eyes and pretend I'm kissing you."

Will's cheeks turned yet another shade of crimson as he stared at Sonny giddily. Then as he walked past, heading off stage, he whispered a promise into Sonny's ear, "Later, you won't have to pretend." Sonny grinned widely as Will found his chair back in the audience, and he took his place stage right next to Anna.

Dr. Brinkmeyer stood and gave his cue. "Alright everyone, let's try this one more time..."


	11. Chapter 11

Here's the thing, when you spend all of your time performing in front of people, the stage becomes your safe place, your comfort zone. So, when you kiss the guy you really like on that stage, your safe place, a certain amount of anxiety and disorientation creeps in the minute you leave that stage. And that's exactly how Will felt once he and Sonny returned to his dorm room after rehearsal. The suggestive promise "Later, you won't need to pretend..." was now only just that - a promise with the likelihood of being broken.

For Will, being with Darren was akin to performing a role in a play. He would escape to another place in his mind where an easy-going, adventurous, devil-may-care Will could hook up with someone for the purpose of carnal pleasure only and then feel no attachment, no regret. Being with Darren never felt magical or satisfying. Kissing Sonny did. Being with Darren never left him aching for more, wanting to be close to him every second of the day. But Will felt exactly like that with Sonny. Except now, in his dorm room, sitting over 4 feet across from him on his bed, sipping coffee, he didn't have the security of a script or the stage, and he didn't know what to do.

"So, have you always wanted to be a journalist?"

"Pretty much, yes," Sonny had been answering Will's questions for about the last hour. Just when there would be a lull in the conversation, Sonny would make a move to scoot a little closer, he'd smile at Will in a way he hoped said that he was waiting for Will to make good on his promise. But Will would quickly shift directions and ask Sonny another generic and banal question.

"Do you see yourself as a crime reporter? Sports columnist? The new Dear Abby?" he teased, smiling down at his coffee.

"Actually I've always wanted to travel. I love experiencing new places, new foods, new cultures. I guess I always kind of thought that I'd be able to get paid for flying around the world, eating exotic foods and then writing about them," Sonny answered rather honestly. "Right now though, I'm sort of pigeon-holed as the 'sports guy', and I've been writing that column for the college paper for the last two years."

"Well, I think you'll be highly successful regardless of what you do. You seem to feel pretty comfortable tackling new challenges."

Sonny shook his head. "Not always, Will."

"Well, you learned the role of Nathan Detroit pretty well...especially for never having acted or sung in a show before!"

"Yeah, I suppose." Sonny sat there, looking pensive. "Will?"

"Huh?"

"Why were you so against me getting cast in the show?" The conversation suddenly turned very serious. Sonny looked down at Will's hands wrapped around his coffee cup. Will's cheeks got red, and he tentatively glanced up at Sonny and then immediately back down.

"I-I-It's not that I didn't want you in the show, Sonny."

"You just didn't want me to be Nathan in the show." Sonny said matter-of-factly.

Will sighed and weighed his options: tell the truth and hurt Sonny's feelings, or gloss over the fact that Will campaigned heavily against Sonny as not to stir the pot too much. "The truth is...I am very loyal to my theatre friends. There are people who invest in acting classes, and singing lessons, people who have tried out over and over again for shows and never get their break. That's my friend Clark. And then you enter the picture, do a good job singing happy birthday, flash your dazzling smile, and all of sudden the role is yours." Will's bluntness surprised Sonny enough that he jerked back a little, feeling slightly shocked but more than slightly hurt.

"So, that's all I am? An adequate singer with a good smile?"

"No!" Will responded forcefully, running his fingers nervously through his hair. "That's not all you are."

"But clearly, you didn't think I was cut out to play Nathan."

"Sonny, my closest friend, Clark, was up for the part of Nathan. He was the frontrunner until you auditioned."

Sonny's face fell. "Will, I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize, Sonny. You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm not sure I was able be very objective anyway."

"It doesn't matter, Will. I came in out of nowhere and took the role away from someone who worked really hard for it. I feel like a jerk. No wonder you didn't like me when I first arrived."

"I liked you!" Will countered only somewhat convincingly. "Sonny, I just didn't know what to expect from you. I didn't know how it would affect the group dynamic. Would you be distant and not socialize with us? Or would you be genuinely interested in playing the part as best as you could. I didn't doubt you...I just didn't know you."

"And now?" Sonny asked quietly.

"Now, I respect you as an actor and singer. I am in awe of how you've taken to it actually. You're a good fit for the role, Sonny. I know that now."

"And what happened to Clark?"

"He's Lt. Brannigan. You share a few scenes with him." Will bit his lower lip and chewed on it absentmindedly.

"Oh."

"Sonny?"

"Yeah?"

"Regardless of what I felt at one time, that's now changed." He paused and met Sonny's eyes. "You know that I really like you in this role, right?" Sonny quickly looked away.

"You don't have to say that, Will."

"Yes I do! You have to know that I didn't **want** to like you...I wanted you to not be very good. I was mad at Dr. Brinkmeyer for a while after auditions. But..."

"But? But what, Will?"

"But it didn't take more than one rehearsal to change my mind. Sonny," he waited to continue until Sonny met his gaze, "you won me over with your sincerity and your humility. I realized that you weren't the over-confident, cocky soccer player I had planned on hating. You were - are - really a nice guy. I was wrong." _Plus_, Will thought to himself, _you are adorable and sweet and you took my breath completely away when you kissed me._ _Why then are we talking about the reasons I at first didn't like you? This isn't how I envisioned the rest of our evening going._

"Well, Will, this nice guy is going to head out. It was good talking to you." Sonny scanned Will's face for any sign that he didn't want him to go. But Will just watched with a half-smile, fighting an internal battle between his feelings and his fears.

"Yeah, thanks for coming over..." Will's heart was beating so fast, so hard, he felt he might pass out. Sonny stood, tossed his now empty cup in the garbage and reached for his bag.

"Thanks for the coffee."

"Anytime." And Will got up from the bed to walk him to the door.

"Well, I'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow? Or I suppose it's actually technically today since it's after midnight now."

"Yeah. See you there." Will was right behind Sonny as he reached to turn the door handle.

"Sonny?" Will spoke quietly, almost so softly that Sonny barely heard him.

"Did you say something, Will?" he asked turning to look back. They stared at each other for no more than a few seconds...but to both Will and Sonny, it felt like a lot longer. Then with one bold step forward, Will grabbed the front of Sonny's jacket with his hand and pulled him into a hard, open-mouthed kiss. It took them both a moment to get their bearings, and they each stood there, frozen and speechless.

"Ahhhh," Will stammered awkwardly. He had wanted to kiss Sonny all night, to fulfill his promise, and he wanted it to be as tender and sweet as the kiss they shared on stage. But he got a little out of control, he was flustered and uptight, and he just planted one on Sonny. Now Sonny was shocked...and probably disappointed, and Will needed to apologize.

But Sonny didn't want Will to apologize. In fact, that kiss sent currents of desire all through his body. Will's assertiveness turned Sonny on, and he wanted more of what Will had to give. "Not another word..." he murmured as he dropped his bag, wrapped one arm around Will's waist and the other around his neck and firmly covered Will's lips with his own.

Will's eyes flew open for a second, and then they fell shut as Sonny started to move his lips against his. Will involuntarily whimpered as he focused on the softness and sweetness of Sonny's mouth. The kiss was intoxicating and their breathing quickly got ragged. Pulling away slightly, brown eyes bore into blue intensely. Sonny brushed Will's cheek with his thumb and Will moved his hand slowly into Sonny's thick mane. When Will did that, Sonny closed his eyes just briefly and an obvious look of pleasure transformed his features. When Sonny's eyes blinked back open, they focused intently on Will's lips, which he had just freshly moistened with his tongue. They moved back together, grazing noses before their lips met once again.

Without even realizing it, Will had pushed Sonny up against his door. When Will managed to pull his lips from Sonny's in order to explore the smooth, tanned skin of his neck, the subtle movement of Sonny raising his chin caused his head to knock against the door with a hard thud.

"Oh my gosh, Sonny! Are you okay? I'm so sorry." Will was appalled that he hurt Sonny.

"Will, it's okay," Sonny chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Are you going to have a bump back there?" Will asked sincerely as his hand found Sonny's to help search for the injury.

"It doesn't matter," Sonny said simply.

"Yes it does! You could be hurt?"

"I'm not hurt."

"Are you sure?" Will smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sure. Plus, I think it was about time we, ahh, moved this to the bed anyway."

That's all it took, and Will pulled Sonny to his bed and without hesitation, starting kissing him again. Their knees were bent as they sat across from each other, hands roaming each other's face, back, waist, hair. Sonny softly kissed the corners of Will's mouth before running his tongue lightly against the seam. Will opened his mouth eagerly, welcoming Sonny's tongue by meeting it with is own. Stroking, dancing, teasing, they stayed like that for a while until both were panting and breathless.

"Shit, Will," Sonny said holding Will's eyes.

"Yeah," was all Will could muster.

"Amazing. Kiss."

"Yeah," from Will again, still unable to formulate a coherent sentence.

Sonny embraced Will, wrapping his arms firmly around him, holding him tightly. Will let his body relax and settle into Sonny. They stayed like that for a while.

Sonny released first. "I've been wanting you to do that all night," he whispered brokenly.

Will just nodded. "Me too.

"I was afraid the only kiss we'd share would be the one on stage. And I started to wonder if it was just you playing a very convincing Adelaide."

"No, Sonny, remember I told you I wanted to kiss you in the practice room before rehearsal."

"Yeah, but, that could've changed."

"It didn't." Will stopped and framed Sonny's face with his hands. "That little taste on stage only had me wanting more. But I'm not very good at acting on impulse. I tend to do better with a script." Will smiled shyly.

"Well, I am very glad you decided to improvise. I knew what I wanted...and I just wanted to make sure you wanted the same thing."

"Yeah. I think you can tell from that kiss that I did - do - want the same thing." And Will leaned over to give Sonny a soft peck on the lips. "You have great lips, you know."

"So do you. They are just perfect, pink, soft..." and they were drawn together once more.

"Damn, Will, you know how to kiss. You make me weak in the knees when you put your mouth on mine," Sonny said when they finally pulled apart again.

"Yeah...certain, ah, parts of me are pretty tingly right now." Will smiled and winked.

"Good." Sonny smiled back. "Okay, well, now I really have to go. I have some homework to do before I can sleep and we have another long rehearsal coming tomorrow night."

"You're right. Can I walk you to your car?"

"You don't have to, Will..."

"I know but I want to. That means I just get a little more time with you. Is that okay?"

"It's very okay. Thanks."

Sonny picked up his bag that had fallen to the floor near the door, and Will grabbed his keys from the desk. Will locked the door behind him and turned to walk Sonny back down the hall. To Will's surprise and delight, Sonny reached for Will's hand and held it all the way to the parking lot.

"Thanks, Will, for the coffee."

"Thank you, Sonny, for the kisses." They both giggled happily.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow at rehearsal?" Sonny questioned, opening the driver's side door.

"Yep. I'll be there."

"And maybe, if you're not busy, we can grab dinner or a movie or something over the weekend?"

"Are you asking me on a date?" Will teased playfully.

"Are you interested in going on a date with me?"

"I am."

"So then, yes, I am asking you out on a date, Will."

"I can't think of anything I'd like more."

Sonny raised his eyebrows. "Really? Nothing?" he inquired suggestively.

"Hmmm...well, I would like one more kiss before you go."

"Okay. That I can do." And Sonny leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on Will's lips, but Will wasn't satisfied with that. He put both arms around Sonny's neck and carded his fingers through his hair. Their kiss became more intense, insistent and lusty. When they broke away, Sonny swallowed loudly and was breathing hard.

"You, ummm," Will attempted, "you have a good night," he finished, pointing at Sonny and taking a needed step back.

"Um, you too, Will." They shared a contented smile, and turned to go their separate ways.

"Will?" Sonny called out before he got into his car.

"Yeah?" Will asked curiously.

"I can't wait to see you tomorrow." Will's face broke out into a huge grin.

"I can't wait to see you either." And Sonny got the same dreamy look on his face. "Good night, Sonny."

"Night, Will."


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey you," Will said as he climbed into Sonny's car. Smiling shyly but adorably, he leaned over and gave Sonny a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"Hi to you, too," Sonny said with an equally charming grin.

"Good to see you had time to clean up before you came to get me."

Sonny was originally supposed to pick Will up at 5:30pm; they were going to have dinner and then catch a 7 o'clock movie. However, things didn't go exactly as planned, and his soccer game went a lot longer due to several rain delays. "Ha, ha. Like I wouldn't before our big date." Sonny winked at Will. "So, how hungry are you? Because it's 6:25 now, so we could get dinner and then hit a later movie, or if you're not super hungry we can go to the 7:10 showing and then grab something afterwards…that is if you don't fill up on movie popcorn."

"I'm actually not extremely hungry, but you probably are. You just played a marathon game!"

"True, but during one of the many game delays, I had a chance to eat a protein bar and some trail mix. So, I could wait, too…if you're sure you're not hungry…"

"I'm sure. I was at the theatre and got distracted and didn't eat lunch until about 2. Plus, we both really want to see this movie, right?"

"Right. And I don't mind the opportunity to get you alone in the dark," Sonny teased. He put the car in Drive and headed out of the parking lot.

"Take it easy tiger," Will reprimanded, "this is our first date. You don't expect me to be that easy, do you?"

"No, but what's wrong with wanting to cuddle a little?"

"Seriously? Did you just say the word 'cuddle'?" Will tried to suppress a smile. He actually couldn't think of anything he'd like more than to hold Sonny's hand and sit nice and close while they watched the movie. He hoped he'd actually be able to concentrate. Sonny could easily distract him. Lord knows he got busted a couple of times last night alone daydreaming about him during rehearsal.

"What's wrong with the word 'cuddle'?" Sonny tried to look hurt.

"Ahhh, nothing," Will smirked, "it just sounds like something you'd do with your dog."

"I do cuddle with my dog."

"Lucky dog." Will quipped and peered over at Sonny to see how he'd respond to Will's freshness.

"See, I knew it."

"Knew what?" he feigned ignorance.

Sonny met his gaze for just a moment before focusing back on the road. "I knew you'd like the idea of cuddling, too." And then Sonny kept his eyes forward while he waited for Will's response. Nothing. _Uh oh. Maybe that comment was too much too soon._

Will also stared forward, making Sonny wait a bit before reaching his left hand out and setting it gently on Sonny's thigh. "I do like that idea."

Sonny's heart started beating just a little faster when Will touched him. Then it picked up even more speed when Will said that to him. This was going unbelievably well. Sonny took his right hand from the steering wheel and grasped Will's hand. So what if his hands were no longer at 9 and 3 o'clock (updated proper hand position post-invention of air bags)? He drove very carefully one-handed and he didn't let go of Will until they got close to the movie theater.

"Crap," Sonny suddenly said under his breath.

"What's up?"

"Look at the line."

Will looked over at the theater lobby. There was a line of people snaking out from the front doors and all the way around the corner. "Oh."

"How about I drop you off and then I'll park the car? Then you don't have to walk, and you can get in line for us."

"That's very sweet, but no thanks," Will responded honestly. "I'd rather be with you, even if it means we have to walk a ways and wait longer in line."

Sonny smiled and turned his attention back to finding a place to park. The truth was Will didn't really care if they went to dinner or even if they made it to this movie. He was most excited about being able to spend more than a couple hours with Sonny alone, outside a practice room or auditorium.

Just as they rounded the block for the second time, Will spotted a car pulling out from a spot on the street across from the theater.

"There!" he yelled and pointed.

"Okay, Will, gosh! You about gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry. I just didn't want to miss out on this great parking spot."

"It is rockstar parking. Nicely done." Sonny chuckled and maneuvered the car into the open space.

"Thank you!" Will declared proudly, "glad I have an eagle eye…"

Sonny hit the alarm as soon as they were both out of the car. "Now if we can just have that same kind of luck getting tickets..." And the pair made their way to the end of the line. Sonny glanced at his watch. "Twenty minutes til show time. They better get us in there soon; I don't like missing the previews."

Just then the line started to move. Will looked over and smiled, "they must have heard you."

As they got closer to the corner of the building and then about twenty feet from the lobby, one of the employees came out making an announcement to those still in line. "Right now we only have single seats available."

Sonny and Will turned to each other at exactly the same time. "I want to see the movie…so I suppose we could sit separately…" Sonny shrugged.

"I suppose," Will agreed only because it was their first date and he didn't want to be too forward. Plus, Sonny had asked him out. Will tried not to seem too disappointed.

They got up to the ticket counter, and Sonny suddenly grabbed Will's hand and pulled them out of line. "I don't want to sit apart from you. That sort of defeats the purpose of the date, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it does," and they walked hand in hand back to Sonny's car.

"I have an idea…it's unusual…but if you're game…" Sonny let his statement hang in the air.

Will sighed loudly. "Well, since you humored me by trying all of my crazy singing and acting techniques, I think it's only fair that I trust you and go along with your crazy idea."

"I didn't say it was crazy. Now your warm-up exercises are crazy; this idea of mine doesn't even compare to you making me sing with 3 fingers in my mouth or with my tongue all the way out or lying on my back."

"Really. Why don't you let me decide that on my own." Then without taking a breath he chided, "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get going."

"Okay, yes sir! I'm going!" They laughed easily as Sonny drove away from the theater. They didn't talk as much as they made their way from the east side near campus to their new destination. Will recognized the area as soon as Sonny turned down Wilson Road.

"You're not taking me to Sal's, are you?"

Sonny looked over at him in complete shock. "You know about Sal's?" his eyebrows raised almost to his hairline.

Will laughed. "Yes, I do. I love Sal's."

"Well, this plan is turning out even better than I thought. Not too many people from school get down to this area. It's near a bunch of warehouses my family owns, so I've been going there for years."

"I, ah, actually used to live with my dad and siblings in an apartment down here." Will paused to gauge Sonny's reaction. The neighborhood was fine for warehouses and industrial buildings, but it wasn't the safest place to live.

"Oh. So, when did you start coming to this place?" Sonny didn't judge or dwell on Will's admission.

"Wow, maybe 10 years ago? Dad used to treat me every once in a while after I had a game or recital. My favorite is their Italian sub. There's just something about it…it's amazing."

"Oooh, yes, I do love Sal's Italian sub, but I also really like the Reuben. That's the only way I'll eat sauerkraut or thousand island dressing."

"You know I've never had a reuben. I've wanted to try it since I was younger; it was – probably still is – one of my Dad's favorites."

Sonny pulled into the lot at Sal's. The shop was on the corner and the 'Sal's Sandwiches' sign outside the building had more lights out then on. If you didn't know the place, you might have called it 'Al's Dice'. The lot was riddled with potholes and there weren't any marked spaces, so Sonny just pulled in right next to one of the other cars already parked there.

"I thought maybe we'd get sandwiches to go, and then there's this spot I want to take you….it's down near the river."

"Sounds good to me. Hey, um, I might be presumptuous thinking this, but what if I got the Italian and you got the Reuban and we shared?"

"That sounds perfect, Will. Good idea. Then if you don't like the Reuban, you don't have to eat it."

As they walked in the door, a bell chimed off-key. It sounded like it had been damaged more than just a little and the "ding" was now more like a "clang". It was still effective, though, and a short, round woman with cat-eye glasses came out to the counter. "Hi Sonny, dear! How are you?"

"I'm good Greta, how are you?"

"Well, I'm still here making sandwiches, so I guess that's better than nothing, hah?" Greta laughed and her eyes wrinkled almost all the way shut. She stopped and focused on Will for a moment. "Will Horton, is that you?"

He couldn't believe she remembered him. "It is, Greta. You have an amazing memory."

"Gosh, it's been forever since I've seen you!"

"Yep, I haven't been here in years."

"Well, it is so good to see you again. How's your dad?"

"Um, I don't really know." Will tensed and responded quietly. Sonny reached over and squeezed his hand. Greta smiled kindly.

"That's alright. I'm just glad to see you in here again finally." And that put Will back at ease. "You still get the Italian on white with no onion?"

"I can't believe you remember! I do. And could you cut it in half for me? Sonny and I are going to share."

"Sure thing. It's all you ever ordered, you know. And Sonny? What's it going to be for you?"

"The Reuban on marble, please, also cut in half."

"Let me guess, you're going to share?" she winked knowingly.

"You got it. Will, coke to drink? Is that good?"

"Perfect."

"Okay Greta, add two large cokes, one of your famous monster cookies and pack this all up to go."

"Not staying here with me?"

"Nope. We're heading down near the river. It's gorgeous out tonight, and I know a great place with a very cool view." Sonny replied taking out his wallet. Will reached for his as well, and Sonny quickly stopped him. "No, Will, I asked you out, so I'm paying."

Greta smiled as she continued packing up the sandwiches and the cookie. As Sonny paid, Will grabbed extra napkins and straws. "Here's your change, Sonny."

"That's for you Greta." She nodded and stuffed the extra bills into her tip jar.

"Thanks, Sonny. Hey Will," Greta called out as they were leaving. He turned back around to face her. "You always seemed so happy here with your Dad. That's why I remember you. You'd both come in looking down, and then once you got your sandwiches and sat down at a table together, your whole mood changed. You guys sure laughed a lot."

Will swallowed hard at the memory. "We did. Those are some of my best memories."

"Well, regardless of what's going on between you and your Dad, don't ever forget that, okay? Oh, and by the way?" both boys were now facing her. "You two look real good together. I hope you have a great time on your date." And just like that she disappeared into the back room.

They drove in silence until they got to Sonny's "secret place". He pulled into a warehouse parking lot and turned off the car. "Are you okay, Will?"

"Yeah. She's such a great person, isn't she?"

"She is. I swear she knows everyone who comes in there by name."

Will bit his bottom lip and then let it go. "She remembered me coming in there with my Dad."

"Ummhmm."

"At first it made me sad, but she's right, we always had a great time together on Sal's days. So, I'm happy that I have those memories."

"Good, Will, I'm glad." Sonny leaned over to the backseat, grabbed the blanket that was folded up there and the drinks. "So, you ready?" He grinned mischievously.

"This is the place? You brought me to an abandoned warehouse? How romantic," Will remarked sarcastically.

"Hey, you promised you'd give my crazy idea a chance!"

"Okay, okay, let's go!" Will gave in and got out of the car with the bag of food.

"Follow me!" And Sonny led them to a door right across from where they parked. He pulled out a set of keys and unlocked it, holding the door open for Will.

"Thanks. That's awful gentlemanly of you."

"That's me…a total gentleman." Will rolled his eyes.

Sonny led them through an office area and out into the warehouse space. What Will saw was not at all what he expected. Looking out in front of him, he saw endless rows of golf carts. "We're going golfing?" he questioned skeptically.

"Not really. But we are going to use one of these nifty carts."

"We are." He still sounded confused.

"Yep." Sonny set the blanket and drinks down on one of the tables against the wall and walked to the first cart on the floor. He hopped in, started it, and came zooming over to where Will was standing. "Your ride is here," he said and got out to help Will in and grab the stuff from the table. Once they were settled, Sonny put the cart in gear and started off in the opposite direction.

He wasn't going too fast, after all, he didn't want to lose their food or spill their drinks. So, he took his time as he wound his way up several floors to the top of the warehouse. As soon as the cart emerged from under the roof, Will gasped at the sight before him. The sun was going down and it had turned the sky a subtle color of pink. Out a little further beyond the warehouse, he could see the bridge that went over the Illinois river and into Wisconsin. Sonny put the golf cart in park and looked over at Will.

"It's beautiful up here, Sonny," Will said still taking it all in.

"I know, isn't it? I always loved coming up here. I got some of my best thinking done up here." Will turned to look him deeply in the eyes.

"I love it, Sonny. It's perfect."

"Okay, so let's go. If you get the sandwiches, I've got the rest." Sonny set the drinks down and he spread out the blanket he had brought along. He took the bag from Will and pulled him over to sit. They both crossed their legs, facing the sunset, and Sonny got out the sandwiches. "Here you go…" he handed Will his Italian. Then he got out his Reuben and handed Will half of that. "If you don't like it, that's just fine. I won't mind eating one of Sal's whole Reubens!"

They each dug into their sandwiches and watched as the sun slowly disappeared behind the river's edge. Will took a long drink of his coke and then grabbed his half of the Reuben. He bit off a big piece of the corner, chewing thoughtfully. After swallowing, he looked over at Sonny and grinned. "This sandwich is amazing. Now I know why Dad – and you –like it so much."

"I told you you'd like it!" Sonny celebrated with a few fist pumps.

"I do," Will said more seriously than Sonny expected. "I really like you, too, Sonny."

Will couldn't look at Sonny after he said it, he was just too nervous. He didn't want to be looking right at him if Sonny didn't feel the same way; Will would be able to tell.

The next thing Will felt was Sonny's hand under his chin, forcing him to make eye contact. He looked right into Sonny's beautiful brown eyes and saw in them pure joy. "And I really like you, Will."


	13. Chapter 13

**_A/N: Hello again! Continued thanks for all of your comments. This story is so much fun for me to write...and it makes me extremely happy to know that you are enjoying it to. So, without further ado, here is chapter lucky 13...the rest of Will & Sonny's first date. Oh, and many, many thanks to roxygirl24 for the most perfect promo pic!_**

* * *

They each dug into their sandwiches and watched as the sun slowly disappeared behind the river's edge. Will took a long drink of his coke and then grabbed his half of the Reuben. He bit off a big piece of the corner, chewing thoughtfully. After swallowing, he looked over at Sonny and grinned. "This sandwich is amazing. Now I know why Dad – and you –like it so much."

"I told you you'd like it!" Sonny celebrated with a few fist pumps.

"I do," Will said more seriously than Sonny expected. "I really like you, too, Sonny."

Will couldn't look at Sonny after he said it, he was just too nervous. He didn't want to be looking right at him if Sonny didn't feel the same way; Will would be able to tell.

The next thing Will felt was Sonny's hand under his chin, forcing him to make eye contact. He looked right into Sonny's beautiful brown eyes and saw in them pure joy. "And I really like you, Will."

"That's a relief," Will whispered, trying not to move a muscle since Sonny was still holding onto his chin. "I think you should kiss me."

"I think you're right," and Sonny bridged the small gap that was between them and softly brushed his thumb against Will's cheek before kissing him. Will was transfixed; he didn't ever remember anyone being that delicate and that gentle. Will watched as Sonny brought his face closer and slowly closed his eyes. In fact, Will watched right up until their lips met, and then he let his lids fall dreamily shut. Their mouths were a perfect match for each other. Both had incredibly supple lips, moist, warm and flawless. Sonny started moving his against Will's, deepening the kiss enough that Will abandoned his sandwich in favor of wrapping his arms around Sonny's neck. Sonny moaned into Will's mouth when Will couldn't stop himself from grabbing a fistful of Sonny's locks and giving them a firm tug. Sonny finally managed to pull away from Will, so they could both catch their breath.

They each sat on the blanket just smiling at each other. "You taste like sauerkraut."

"So do you." Will picked his sandwich back up and took another bite.

"Well, it's a good thing you discovered you like Reubens then."

"Mmmmhmmm," Will managed with his mouth full.

Sonny shook his head. "You are adorable," and he watched Will still chewing a large mouthful. "Even if you do inhale your food."

"Inhale? No! It's just really good!"

"You don't have to tell me! I'm the one who introduced you to that sandwich."

"Technically, my Dad did even though I never had the guts to taste his."

"Whatever. You didn't hesitate to taste mine…."

"That's because you taste so good…I mean your sandwich tastes so good." Will said suggestively.

"So do you…I mean so does your sandwich…" Sonny countered. They were both getting a little worked up again at the idea of doing more "tasting".

"Ummm, so, do you know how many golf carts your Dad keeps here?" Will quickly changed the subject and glanced back at the several rows behind them.

"Well, there are four full floors of them and then about a third of this one, so I'd guess probably pretty close to 500….maybe 750?"

"So, does he just store them here for clubs and courses? It seems like a lot to have on hand."

"Yeah. Well, he stores them for a couple, and then the others are replacements he can send out at any time if one breaks down."

"Wow. I didn't realize there was such a high demand for golf carts in this town." Will joked.

"Well, you know with the university, a lot of professors golf, I guess." Will couldn't hold back his chuckle. "Wait, you're messing with me, right?"

"Yep," Will said happily.

"Don't worry, I'll get you back, Horton."

"Bring it on, Kiriakis."

"I will. When you least expect it."

Will looked at Sonny and grinned; he was having a really good time. Being with Sonny was so easy. They didn't force conversation and didn't feel the need to fill silence with meaningless chatter. They connected on a level neither one had ever experienced before. It was exciting being together but at the same time so very comfortable. Neither of them wanted the date to end.

"Can I ask you a serious question, Will?"

"Yeah, sure," he responded without hesitation.

"What do you plan to do when you graduate?"

"Woah. That _**is**_ a serious question." Will took a deep breath. "I don't have much tying me to this town anymore, so I've seriously considered moving to LA or New York to see if I can make it as an actor or writer. I thought about teaching, but I'm not sure I'd want to deal with punks like you all day long."

"Very funny. Hey, you told me I was a good student!"

"C'mon, I'm just kidding. But back to your question, I don't know for sure. I have one more year to decide. Why do you ask?"

"Because it's April and I'm a senior, which means that I graduate in a month."

"Oh."

"And even though I know this is only our first date, I am having a really good time, and I'd like to go out again with you. But I also don't want to start something that has to end in a month."

"I don't want it to end in a month." Will said without even thinking.

"I don't either," Sonny agreed not taking his eyes from Will's. "I know we're sort of putting the cart before the horse….but…"

"I haven't felt this way with anyone before either," Will finished for him. Sonny just nodded his head.

"Yeah."

"So, let's take it a day at a time, okay? I'll be working on campus over the summer."

"And I'll be helping coach with a couple soccer camps the university holds every summer."

"Well then, it kind of sounds like maybe we have four months then to figure this out."

"Okay. It's just…I…well…"

"I know, Sonny." And Will shifted over on the blanket so his side was right up against Sonny's. Will grabbed his hand and leaned his head on Sonny's shoulder. They both looked up into the sky. "The sky is so clear tonight. I didn't think it would be after all the rain today."

"It's amazing….so many stars."

"You were certainly right about the fantastic view up here. It's incredible to see so far down the river."

"Yes, it is an incredible view." Sonny said wistfully but he wasn't looking at the stars or the water. He was looking at Will. Will blushed furiously and glanced down at their clasped hands. Just then Sonny let go and stretched his arm out and around Will's shoulders, snuggling him in tightly. Will settled his hand on Sonny's knee, and Sonny rubbed Will's arm with his palm. They sat there together just enjoying the closeness.

"Hey, Will, that looks like a shooting star…did you see it?"

Will looked in the same direction and spotted what Sonny was talking about. Except it was moving. "Sonny, I think that's a plane."

They both watched the light move slowly across the sky. "Oh well. So I wished on a plane instead of a shooting star. Do you think it will still come true?"

"I suppose it depends on what you wished for."

"I wished for more times like this with you."

"Hmmm, I have a good feeling about your wish coming true." Will lifted his head from Sonny's shoulder and stretched his neck up far enough so he could place a soft kiss on the corner of Sonny's mouth. Sonny turned his head and the next time Will leaned in, he captured Sonny's whole mouth in a searing kiss. They both moaned softly as they opened for each other. Tongues slid in quickly and they matched stroke for stroke as their hands grabbed wildly, yearning for more contact. Sonny snaked the hand he had on Will's shoulder up to his neck and pulled Will down on top of him as he laid back on the blanket. They never broke their kiss, and Will relaxed and let his chest fall completely against Sonny's. Hands moved up and down arms, into hair, and caressed each other's face.

Will let one of his hands follow Sonny's shirt until he reached the bottom of it. Then ever so gently, he slid his hand underneath and placed his palm on the small of Sonny's back. Will hummed with pleasure; Sonny's skin was warm and smooth and he could feel his muscles ripple as he squirmed below him.

"That feels so good," Sonny said into Will's mouth.

"For me, too. You have the softest skin." Sonny whimpered as Will's hand explored further. He dragged his nails gently up over Sonny's shoulder blade and back down to his hip. Will let his head fall to the side when Sonny pulled his lips away to put them on his neck, his jawline, his ear. He'd nibble and then he'd soothe with his tongue. The sensation was incredible.

Though they both got dangerously close, they avoided touching below the waist. It certainly wasn't because nothing was happening down there. Or that they didn't _want_ something to happen down there. On the contrary. But they both knew it without saying a word; it was too soon. The kissing alone was taking them to places they'd never been. Will finally had to tear his lips away from Sonny's so he could catch his breath.

"No," Sonny groaned in protest, but Will just smiled at him and rested his head on Sonny's chest. Will's hand was still inside Sonny's shirt, and he couldn't resist continuing to move his fingertips against Sonny's warm skin. Suddenly, Sonny shivered.

"Ticklish?" Will teased as he kept his hand moving.

"Actually, I'm a little chilly."

"Hmph," Will grunted, "I guess you've cooled off a little faster than I have…"

"Hmmm, hot and bothered are we Will?"

"Hot yes. But I'm not bothered by this at all."

"Yeah, me either." Sonny laughed softly. Will held him tighter. "I have an idea of a way you could cool down."

"Oh, so it's just me who needs to "cool off" a bit?"

"Fine," Sonny conceded pushing Will up into a sitting position. "I have a way we can BOTH cool down."

"You have my attention."

"Golf cart race." Sonny declared proudly.

"Wait a minute," Will squinted his eyes and crossed his arms. "Your family has had this warehouse for a long time, so I bet you are an expert at golf cart driving."

"Far from it. Plus we've only stored golf carts here for the last year, so this is just my the 3rd or 4th time I've been in one."

"Is that really the truth?"

"Yep. Cross my heart," and Sonny made the motion on his chest.

"Okay, you're on. Will you give me a quick golf-cart driving 101 so I know the basics?"

"No problem." Sonny hopped up and reached out a hand to help Will. Once they were both standing, Sonny started gathering all the garbage together so he could put it in the food bag. Will took the last slurp of his coke and handed Sonny the empty cup. Then they picked up the blanket and folded it. Setting those items in the back of the cart, Sonny climbed in the passenger's side and tossed the keys to Will.

After about 10 minutes and only one stall, Sonny proclaimed Will ready for his very own cart. They were back down on the main floor, so Sonny ran into the office and grabbed a key. He started up another golf cart and pulled it in right next to Will's.

"How about for now, you just follow me around so you can get used to the space. Then we'll see if you're ready to race."

"Sounds good to me," and with that Sonny took off with Will following closely behind.

They drove over and through, up and around several times, picking up speed as they went. Will was starting to feel pretty good about his skills, so on one of the turns, when Sonny would typically slow down a little, Will kept his speed up and passed right by him.

"Woohoo!" Will yelled and glanced behind him to see Sonny's surprised expression.

"Watch out Horton!" Sonny shouted back as he started to catch up.

Reaching the first floor once again, Will and Sonny brought their carts to a halt.

"I guess you've got that down pretty well, Will. Are you ready for a friendly race all the way to the top and back down again?"

"You bet I am," Will said, lifting his chin confidently.

"Okay. Here's how it will go: we take each floor until we get to the top, once we're on the roof, you have to make a circle around the outside of the lot before heading back down the ramp. First one back to this spot wins. Got it?"

"Got it." They both started their carts and lined themselves up in front of the office.

"Are you having fun, Will?" Sonny looked at him and already knew the answer from the huge smile that was on Will's face.

"I'm having a great time."

"Good. Enjoy it for now because you're about to get your ass beat!"

They both took off and stayed even until about the 3rd floor. Sonny gave his a little extra push and managed to pass Will and speed up to 4th. Will kept his cool and held back, biding his time until later when he'd make his surprise move right near the finish. Sonny remained ahead circling the top floor and sustained his lead back down 4th, then 3rd, and then 2nd. Just as they were coming down the home stretch, Will made his big move. Hitting the gas hard, he pulled his cart out from behind Sonny and started passing him on the right. When Will was about a cart length ahead and ready to move in front of Sonny, Sonny inched his cart over just a few feet until his front right end bumped up against the back left end of Will's. The tap was light and harmless, but it surprised Will so much that he lifted his foot to hit the brakes and Sonny zoomed right past him.

"Hey, no fair! You cheated!" Will said when he pulled up next to him.

"Cheated, hah? Tell me Will, how did I cheat?"

"You bumped me!"

"And what rule did that break?" Sonny smirked as Will got quiet. "That's right. There was no rule about bumping, therefore, I did not break said rule since it doesn't exist."

"Shithead."

"Well, next time you know to either make it a rule or plan on doing your own bumping!" Sonny laughed loudly and winked at Will.

Will smiled sweetly. "So, there's going to be a next time, huh?"

Sonny held his gaze. Even in the darkness of the warehouse he could see the twinkle in Will's blue eyes. "I hope so."

"Me too."

"So, what's my prize?" Sonny wiggled his eyebrows at Will.

"Why don't you come over here and find out."

Sonny quickly parked his cart back with the others and jogged over to Will, sliding smoothly into the passenger's seat. Will reached an arm behind Sonny's neck and landed his fingers back in Sonny's hair. He used that as leverage to pull Sonny to him, kissing him firmly and insistently. Will kissed Sonny's cheeks and forehead and then pulled back.

"You're kind of gritty."

"You are too."

Will took one of the napkins they had left and wiped it across his nose and upper lip. Looking at the paper napkin, which used to be white, he saw a large smudge of black. "Am I really that dirty?"

"We both are," Sonny laughed as he brushed his own cheek with the back of his hand. "There's so much dust and dirt around here. I'm not surprised we have a layer of it on us. There are a couple bathrooms around the corner from the office. Do you want to clean up?"

"That would be great." He started to get out of his cart. "Sonny?"

"Yeah?"

"Then can we take one more ride to the roof? For another quick look at the stars?"

"Absolutely. C'mon."

They cleaned themselves off and walked back to the golf cart hand in hand. Silently they got in and Sonny drove back up to the roof. Sonny parked when they got to the same spot as before. The view was similar, but the sky was a darker shade of midnight blue now and the stars seemed to shine even brighter.

"Breathtaking," Will murmured. Sonny reached over and squeezed his hand, letting it rest on Will's thigh. Will loved the way his hand felt in Sonny's. He also loved the way his skin seemed to tingle at Sonny's slightest touch.

"Mmmmhmmm," Sonny agreed relishing how natural it felt to be holding Will's hand and to be touching his leg. He felt so drawn to Will; he just wanted to constantly be in contact with him…either by holding his hand, hugging him, putting his arm around him, brushing his leg up against his, weaving hands through his hair, pressing lips against his…he needed to feel Will. He was blown away with how strongly he felt about him already.

"Oh! I forgot about the cookie!" Sonny suddenly exclaimed reaching into the almost empty bag. He pulled out the cookie, broke it in half and held them both out to Will. "I broke, so you choose."

Grabbing the half closest to him, Will brought the cookie to his mouth and took a bite. "Wow! This is really delicious."

"I know, isn't it?"

They continued to eat until each of their halves was gone. They stayed sitting in the cart, holding hands, staring at the moon until the vibration of Sonny's phone pulled them from their trance. He took it from his pocket and scanned the message.

"What's up?" Will asked casually.

"Nothing. My roommates are just having a few people over. Joel sent me a text to warn me that it might be a little noisy when I get home. Ugh. I'm not really up for that tonight."

"Well, umm...you could always come back to my room?" Will offered sheepishly.

"Tempting. But I don't want to rush things, Will, but thanks for the offer."

"We wouldn't have to do anything besides _cuddle_," Will said the word teasingly, remembering their earlier conversation.

"It sounds wonderful, Will, but if I'm that close to you, I'm not going to be able to just cuddle."

"I suppose you're right. I appreciate your restraint."

"Will?" he waited to continue until Will looked at him. "It's not that I don't want to…trust me. It's just, well, we both have hooked up with people pretty quickly in the past, and I don't want this to be a hook up. I like you a lot, and I want to keep seeing you."

"Yeah," Will whispered, "I want that, too." Sonny leaned over and brushed his lips ever so gently against Will's.

"Very nice," Sonny said after the kiss, "not so dirty." They both chuckled. "So, ready to go?"

"I wouldn't say ready, because I'm loving it here with you, but it's late and we should both get home. We have some intense rehearsals coming up and then tech week. We need all the rest we can get!" Sonny just nodded, started the cart and headed back down to first floor.

* * *

Sonny pulled into the parking lot of Will's dorm keeping the motor running but turning off the lights. He took off his seatbelt and turned to Will. "Thank you so much for agreeing to go out with me. I had a fantastic time."

"I did, too. I don't remember the last time I laughed like that."

"Yeah," Sonny said breathlessly as he and Will moved towards each other. The kiss started off softly until Will decided to nibble on Sonny's bottom lip. Letting out a pleasurable sigh, Sonny framed Will's face with his hands and pressed their mouths tightly together. They made out like that for at least 5 minutes, when Will's hand dropped into Sonny's lap and landed a little further up his thigh than he had planned. "God, Will!"

Will pulled away quickly. "I didn't mean to…" he stammered.

"It's okay. I just need to stop or I won't let you out of this car."

"And that would especially be a problem for rehearsal tomorrow night."

"Definitely."

"Okay. So, Sonny, thank you, I had a great time. "

"Can I text you tomorrow?"

"I'd really like that."

"Great." And with one last chaste kiss, Will got out of the car and walked towards his dorm. He got to the sidewalk and turned back to wave at Sonny, who hadn't left yet. Sonny gave a wave back, put the car in gear and headed home. As he pulled out onto the street, he couldn't stop the grin that immediately spread across his entire face. _"I just had the best date of my life," _he thought to himself and his smile got even wider.

Will pulled the key from his pocket and unlocked his door. Looking at himself in the mirror, he realized that he had a goofy smile plastered across his face. He giggled a little, knowing exactly why. _"That was the best date I've ever had." _He winked at his own reflection in the mirror and started to get ready for bed.


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N:** I couldn't help but picture a **Summer Lovin' **like scene from Grease when I wrote this. Thanks again for all your comments...I LOVE hearing from you!_

* * *

"Seriously, Will? Best date of your life?" Clark was a bit skeptical. He never thought this infatuation with Sonny the soccer star would go anywhere. Now, Will can't stop gushing about their date last night.

"Clark, I'm telling you, man, we're just so in sync…I don't know how to describe it."

"That's cool, Will. I'm happy for you." He paused before asking his next question. "Have you met any of his friends?"

"We just had our first date, Clark, he's only met my friends because you guys are all in the show together," Will told him pointedly and took another bite of his pancakes. Despite the late night, Will couldn't sleep and had texted his friend at 7am. Clark hadn't been up, well, at least until he got Will's text. Now they were at the café down the hill having breakfast.

"I know, but some of those guys on his soccer team are real assholes. You think they'll be cool with the two of you dating?"

"I hope...but it's not up to them."

"I know that, Will, but they could make things rough for you both if they wanted."

"Why are you so critical, Clark?" Will put his fork down and looked at him directly. "Why does it seem that you're not really happy for me? Why do I feel like I'm trying to talk you into liking me and Sonny together?"

"I don't know, Will. I like the guy, I do, even though I didn't think I would. It's just a couple of his friends I've heard about might cause you some trouble. I'm just worried as a friend."

"Thanks, Clark. I appreciate your concern, but I'm still kind of on a high from last night, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't burst my bubble."

"Sorry, Will. Speaking of bursting bubbles…did you two get busy?" Clark wiggled his eyebrows, and Will stared at him, his mouth open in shock.

* * *

"Yeah right! Your date couldn't have been that great!" Joel was on dish duty with Sonny that Sunday morning. Sonny would have been willing to talk about anything else, but Joel insisted he hear all about his "magical" date with Will.

"Yeah, it was that great! You know how connected you feel with Sarah? That's what I feel with Will. We don't have to talk and we're thinking the same thing, he makes me laugh, and damn the man has got amazing lips and an ass to die for." Sonny grinned at Joel knowing that he was pushing his friend's limits.

"Okay, okay! I don't need to hear that stuff!"

"Ooh, and now when you meet Will, you're going to be focused on his lips and his ass, aren't you?" Sonny clapped his soapy hands together, shooting little bubbles everywhere.

"Sonny, yuck! I just got some dish soap in my mouth."

"Sorry, dude," he was trying to be sincere but couldn't stop laughing. "You are going to come to the show in a couple weeks aren't you?"

"Sure, yeah, I'll be there with Sarah. Do you get discounted tickets?"

"Good question. I have no idea how it works, but I'll ask Will." Sonny went to dry his hands and grabbed his cell phone.

"Not now! You idiot." Joel shook his head frustratingly. "You're just looking for any excuse to contact him this morning, aren't you?"

"I'm that obvious, huh?"

"Yep. You must really like the guy, Sonny. I haven't seen you this head over heels since, well….ever."

Sonny nodded, "it does make me a little nervous that it's one month before graduation and Will's only a junior. But I guess we deal with that when and if it comes."

"Speaking of coming, did you at least get a nice hand-job for your romantic efforts last night?"

* * *

"Did you seriously just ask me if we 'got busy'?" Will sputtered, almost losing some coffee through his nose.

"Yeah, I did. So what?"

"Um, well the 90's called and they want their vocabulary back."

"Funny, Will. I simply wanted to know if you two got it on."

"Wow. Now you're visiting the 70's."

"Just shut up and tell me?"

"Well, we did kiss a lot. And there was some touching…but not where you think. I, ah, actually invited him back to my place when he found out his roommates were having a party. He said he didn't want to rush things…didn't want it to be just a hook-up. And you know, I'm glad, because with Darren it was all about sex. Being with Sonny is nothing like that. We laugh a lot, talk, like about serious things, we sometimes just sit there holding hands."

"Okay, enough. It sounds very sappy and very sweet. I'm happy for you. I'm a little jealous, but I'm mostly happy. You're really into this guy, aren't you?" Clark asked, all joking aside.

Will sighed and nodded his head. The thought of admitting how crazy he was about Sonny scared the shit out of him. What if he changed his mind by tonight and told Will he never wanted to see him again? What if he realized what a total theatre nerd Will was after all? _"That wouldn't happen,"_ Will thought to himself. He and Sonny have too much of a connection.

"Are you going to answer me, Will?" Clark interrupted Will's internal pep-talk.

"What? Oh, um, yeah, I do really like him. I just don't want things to get complicated, you know. He graduates next month and I'm a junior. So, I guess we'll figure that out later if we're still together."

"So, does that mean you two are officially 'together'? Like dating exclusively?"

"Like going steady?" Will flashed Clark a wide grin. "Thought I'd bring in the 60's for you since we seem to be revisiting last century."

"Har, har," Clark rolled his eyes. "So…."

"We didn't talk about that, Clark. We both said we liked each other a lot and wanted to go out again, but we didn't discuss anything more serious. It was only our first date, you know." Will poured himself more coffee.

"Shit Will, is that your 5th cup? You're going to be flying today."

"I think I'm going to need it. I couldn't sleep, I was up early and we have a long rehearsal ahead of us tonight. I'm going to need all the help I can get to stay awake for it."

"Hmmm….I have a feeling that as long as Sonny is at rehearsal, you're not going to be able to even think about falling asleep. Am I right?" Clark teased, winking exaggeratedly at him.

"Good point. I do need to stop daydreaming, though. Friday's rehearsal was embarrassing when Dr. B caught me and called me out."

"That was hysterical, dude! By the way, have you talked to Dr. Brinkmeyer about all this?"

"Nope, not yet. I know that he knows, but I haven't given him details. But I am meeting him an hour before rehearsal tonight, and I suspect the topic might just come up."

* * *

"Shit Joel! Man, you're crude."

"So, I take that as a _**no**_…"

"Shut the fuck up! I'm not telling you. Suffice it to say that things could have gone there, but I stopped it."

"What? My horny friend, Sonny was able to exercise restraint?"

"Yeah, can you believe it?" Sonny grinned and then turned more serious. "I don't know Joel, we were making out and all that stuff and I could have so gone there. Will was all over me, but I didn't want to make the night all about that. It's weird but I stopped us because it's too soon…and I want it to be special, you know."

Joel whistled knowingly. "You got it bad."

"You think so?"

"Um yeah, I think you have some pretty serious feelings for this boy."

"You know what, Joel, I think I do." Sonny looked at his friend sincerely and smiled. Joel smiled right back.

"I'm happy for you, man."

"Thanks. That means a lot. I just hope I don't do anything to mess it up, you know? It almost seems too good to be true."

"I know what you mean. I couldn't believe how well things started off with Sarah….in fact, I still can't believe it! But I suppose maybe it's cuz it's meant to be, you know? Maybe you and Will could last."

"Maybe. Crazy thing is that I can actually picture that in my mind. I've never tried going there before, but with Will, I can't _not_ go there."

"Woah. We both might be heading for happily ever after, man! But first you have to get some ass. Can't go the long haul if the sex isn't good."

Sonny shook his head and rinsed the last pan before giving it to Joel to dry. "Just when I think you've gotten all sweet, that maybe Sarah has been a positive influence on you, then you go right back to being crass."

Joel just shrugged his shoulders. "Being real with ya' dude."

"I know, but I'm not worried. I have a feeling everything I do with Will is going to be amazing."

* * *

Will was already in the auditorium perched on the edge of the stage when Dr. Brinkmeyer arrived. "Hey professor, how are you?"

"I'm doing great, Will. How are things with you?" He could tell from the perpetual smile on Will's face that he was happier than he'd seen him in a long time.

"Things are great….they really are." Will smiled and picked up his script for the show. "I have a feeling I know why you wanted to meet with me early."

"Really?" Dr. Brinkmeyer replied but highly doubted that Will knew.

"Yeah. I've been thinking a lot about the **Luck Be a Lady** blocking and choreography, and it needs work. Friday it looked more jumbled and like people didn't know where they were supposed to be. I actually wrote some things down….ways we can make small changes that I think will make a big difference in the final product. I think it will really pull things together."

"Hmmm, now that I think about it, you're right. Why don't you run with this, Will? Teach the changes tonight and we'll see how it goes."

"Okay, so that wasn't why you wanted to see me?" Will inquired.

"Nope." The professor said as he crossed his arms.

Will swallowed a bit nervously. He figured this would probably come up at some point. It was obvious to everyone that he and Sonny were into each other, and it had affected his concentration at Friday night's rehearsal. If this was going to continue with Sonny, he'd have to find a way to keep his focus on the show instead of his dreamy dark-haired boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, Dr. B, this is all really new for me. I messed up on Friday and I lost focus; it won't happen again." He set his script down and peered at his professor apologetically over the top of his glasses. He knew his face was red, too. For crying out loud - Will's life was the theatre! So how did this non-theatre guy get to him so much that he pulled his attention from the very thing he loved most?

"Will, this isn't about Sonny, either."

"Oh," Will was completely puzzled at that point.

"Do you remember Dr. Goldman? She spent the summer here two years ago and then taught our Advanced Directing class in the fall?"

"Yes, I remember her. She's great. I only worked with her a bit during the summer, but she seemed to have lots of experience and a great teaching style."

"She's phenomenal, Will. I think you could learn a lot from her."

"What do you mean _**could**_?" he started tapping his pen on his leg nervously.

"She runs a couple of theatre companies out in Massachusetts – one is the Repertory Theatre on the Cape and the other is the Provincetown Playhouse. She is looking for a student to spend about 6 weeks out there with her as her right-hand man, so to speak. Dr. Goldman would have this person do some directing, help with marketing, PR, work with her actors, and crew, you know, pretty much function as a co-director for two shows."

"Wow! That sounds like a really exciting opportunity!"

"It is, Will, and I'm glad you recognize that."

"I'm hoping that since you are talking to me about it, that you're recommending me?" Will looked hopeful.

"As a matter of fact I am." Dr. Brinkmeyer continued to be a bit vague.

"Great….um, so would this be fall or spring semester?"

"It's neither, Will."

"What do you mean?"

Dr. Brinkmeyer exhaled with a sigh. "Will, the opportunity is for a 6-week internship during the summer. This summer. June into July."

Will just stared at his professor and nodded. "I see."

"I can tell – without you telling me – that this thing with Sonny is going well for you two. I also know that he's a senior and graduates in a few weeks. So, I want you to think about what an incredible opportunity this would be for you and balance that with your new relationship. I trust you'll make the decision that's best for you. I'll send you all the details by email, and she would like to know if you accept by next Friday."

"Next Friday…that's fast."

"It is, but she's going to offer the position to her 2nd choice if you turn it down, so she wants time to do that before the semester ends."

"Gotcha." It was clear that Will was already in full contemplation mode. "I'll think about it and let you know, okay?"

"Sounds good, Will."

"Thanks for thinking of me for this…for recommending me. It means a lot whether I accept it or not." Will hopped down from the stage and reached into his pocket. "Um, I'm going to grab a soda, do you want one Dr. Brinkmeyer?"

"No thanks. I came prepared with a large thermos of coffee. You're welcome to some if you want, Will."

"Thanks, but I'm in the mood for a cold drink tonight." Will gave a tight smile and headed out of the auditorium.

* * *

Sonny saw Will as soon as he walked into the music hall. As he got in the door, he stopped and just watched. Will was at the soda machine with one hand in his back pocket and the other tapping distractedly on his chin. He must have already put his money in because all of a sudden, he shook himself from his reverie and pushed one of the buttons. His coke came bursting out of the machine, the door that usually kept it from doing so had broken off. He caught it just in time.

"Nice catch!" Sonny gave Will his full dazzling smile and jogged over to him. Once he was by Will's side, he gave him a tender peck on the lips.

Will met his eyes shyly. "Hi you."

"Hi to you, too." They just stood there for a minute staring.

"So, how was your day today?" Will broke the silence and turned to start walking back towards the theatre. Sonny followed along at his side.

"It was okay."

"Just okay?"

"Well, because I didn't get to see you at all until now." Sonny's honest declaration stopped Will in his tracks.

"Really?" he chewed at his bottom lip.

Sonny faced him, lifted his hand, and smoothed his thumb ever so gently across Will's lip, releasing it from capture. Meeting Will's eyes briefly, Sonny leaned in and whispered, "Really," before kissing him more enthusiastically this time. When they broke apart, Will couldn't suppress his adoring smile.

"It was the same for me," Will said breathlessly, his heart still pounding excitedly in his chest. "But I can't be like I was on Friday…you, ah, distracted me a bit, and I lost my place. Dr. B caught me looking at you a couple of times."

"Oh, I can't say that I'm sorry, because I'm not. I like that you were staring at me."

"I said looking…not staring."

"Same thing."

"No, staring sounds more creepy," Will insisted.

Sonny shook his head to disagree. "I don't think so. In fact, I think it's incredibly sweet….and hot. I like knowing you can't keep your eyes off of me."

"Hey! I didn't exactly say that either!"

"Don't tell me I'm wrong because I know just how you feel. I can't seem to keep my eyes off you either."

Will's breath hitched and his stomach clenched as he felt Sonny wrap one hand around his neck and burrow it into his hair. This time Will stepped in for another kiss, and his free hand started fiddling with the bottom hem of Sonny's sweatshirt. They both hummed out of the embrace and smiled.

"We need to go…." Sonny reminded him.

"We do." Will grabbed Sonny's hand and held it until they got to the auditorium. They walked the remainder of the way in silence – Sonny's thoughts on how happy he felt being with Will; Will's mind wandering back to Dr. Brinkmeyer's internship offer. He couldn't decide whether or not to tell Sonny about it. There was no rush…he had five days to make a decision. He'd tell Sonny about it soon.

They arrived at rehearsal and Dr. Brinknmeyer got right down to business. "Will, how about you warm everybody up and then we'll go over some changes to **Luck Be a Lady**."

"Sounds good," Will said squeezing Sonny's hand before letting it go. He grabbed his script and climbed the stairs to the stage. Sitting down comfortably at the piano, he started warm-ups, "Okay, everyone on _ah_..."


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N: Thanks again for reading and reviewing! *Note* the bold words in the beginning are text messages between the boys. Happy November all!_**

* * *

**Hey sexy, whatcha doin?**

Will decided to play a little. **Waiting to get a text from my boyfriend, why?**

**Oh. Do I need to let u go?**

**Nah. He can wait.**

**Making him w8 is not very nice.**

**True. But I like u better anyway.**

**Really?**

**Oh yeah.**

**Anything in particular u really like?**

**Where 2 begin. Dark thick hair. Eyes the color of melted chocolate. Perfect body. Gorgeous smile. Sweetest guy ever.**

Sonny smiled and felt a tug at his heart. _Did Will really see him that way?_ **Wow! He does sound amazing. ;-)**

**Trust me, he is. Who needs that other boyfriend anymore, right?**

**Right! BTW - u are kidding about u re other b-friend.** Sonny was mostly kidding, but Will did have history with Darren after all.

**Of course. No 1 I'd rather b with than u.**

**Good b cause I'm not good at sharing.**

Will grinned widely at his phone's screen. **Me neither. Speaking of, what r u doing 2night for dinner before rehearsal?**

Sonny spoke without hesitation. **Meeting my boyfriend 4 some cuddling, how bout u?**

**Mmmm, cuddling sounds good.**

**I was hoping you'd say that.** Sonny paused only briefly before extending his invite. **So can u b here at 530?**

**Here? As in your house?** Will's stomach started to tense up.

**Yep. Anything wrong with that?**

_Hmmm, only that I've never met any of your friends, I've never seen your room, I've never been good talking with sports people, so yeah, a lot is wrong, _Will thought to himself. He opted for feigned confidence. **No. Just wasn't sure I was ready to meet the roommates yet.**

**Ok. If u r not that's fine.**

No! Will steadied himself and quickly typed back. **I am! Just nervous I suppose.**

**Nothing to be nervous about. They'll love u like I do.**

Will sat there and stared at his phone. _Did Sonny just say what I think he said? Did he just say he loved me?_ _He didn't mean it like that;_ _don't read more into it Will. Plus you haven't even been dating for a full month yet..._

Will was pulled from his thoughts by another beep from his phone. **R U still there?**

**I m here! Sorry. Ok so your house at 530? Can't wait. Just text me your address.**

**3240 University Dr. C U in a few. ;)**

**C u soon!**

* * *

Five-thirty came pretty quickly, and soon Will was driving slowly down University trying to find the right house number. He didn't need to look that hard because Sonny was actually standing out front watching for him. Will smiled as soon as he saw his gorgeous boyfriend and pulled to the curb to park.

"Hey! Right on time!" Sonny met Will halfway down the sidewalk. He pulled Will into a hug and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're here." Holding hands, they made their way to the front door.

The place was a typical guys house: lots of mismatched couches and chairs, obviously chosen for comfort and not style, a dart board just off to the side of a very large, flat-screen television, a long dining room table that seated probably at least a dozen and a number of minimally clad men roaming around. It didn't seem to bother Sonny at all, but it did make Will wonder if Sonny had dated any of his roommates before. He knew that they were all on the soccer team together, so he guessed that meant they all saw each other in even less clothing in the locker room. The thought of Sonny, and quite frankly other naked men, in the showers together got Will's blood pumping and culminating in one particular location.

"Hey there! You must be Will!" A tall guy with light brown hair and glasses approached the pair.

"Yep, Joel, this is Will and Will, this is my best friend, Joel," he smiled brightly as he introduced the two.

"You got us the chinese food a few weeks ago, right? Nice to meet you," Will stuck his hand out to Joel.

Joel glanced over at Sonny, "He's got a good memory. Yeah, I'm the one who got Sonny his lo mein for your 'practice'," and Joel air-quoted the word as if to presume more was going on there besides practicing. "It's really nice to meet you too, man. Haven't seen my boy Sonny here this happy in a long time." And instead of shaking Will's outstretched hand, he pulled him to him for a brief shoulder hug. It caught Will off guard but made him warm to Joel immediately.

"Really? He's been happy lately? What's he told you about me?" Will saw that Sonny was squirming a bit and felt like making that continue a little while longer.

"Well, he did say that you are smart and have a great voice. He says you've helped him so much with his lines and songs. Oh, and he also said you have the best eyes and an amazing..."

"C'mon Will, I want to show you my room," Sonny interrupted Joel abruptly since he knew the next word out of his mouth following 'amazing' was going to be 'ass'. Sure, it was true. But Sonny didn't think it necessary for Will to hear that from his friend right now. He led Will in the direction of his room, tossing a stern look over his shoulder at Joel. Joel just winked and grinned deviously.

Much to Sonny's surprise and to his relief, they made it to his room without running into any of his other roommates. "Um, here we are," suddenly Sonny was nervous. He had already been to Will's room, but he hadn't been back since that first night when he kissed Will on stage. A lot had happened between them since then. They had an incredible first date, they made out a lot, gone on other dates, started exploring just a little below the waist and even got shirts off in the backseat of Sonny's car the other night.

Will squeezed past Sonny and walked into a space just a little bigger than his dorm room and darkened by old original woodwork and built-ins. Sonny's double bed faced the window on the outside wall and his belongings were neatly organized and uncluttered. Will couldn't help but wonder if Sonny was normally like this or if he tidied specifically for this visit. Will continued to stand in the middle of the room until he felt Sonny's hand's on his hips. Will turned and immediately threw his arms around Sonny's neck and buried his fingers in his hair. "Hey," Will whispered before pulling Sonny closer for a soft, sweet kiss, brushing his lips briefly near Sonny's ear before bringing him in completely for a lingering hug.

"It's so good to see you," Sonny spoke into Will's hair while his hands travelled up and down Will's back. "Thanks so much for coming over. Now, we don't have to eat dinner with the house if you don't want to. I can grab food and bring it back to my room for us. A meal with the whole gang might be a little much for your first time here."

Will stepped back just enough to meet Sonny's eyes. "Thank you for inviting me. I have wanted to meet the friends you talk about, so I'm happy to be here."

"Well, you lucked out and only had to meet Joel. He's one of the easiest of the bunch." Sonny kept holding Will's hands as he leaned back to lock the door and settled them both into the loveseat that was on the opposite wall from his bed. Noticing Will's smirk when Sonny turned the lock, he explained, "that's the only way for privacy because the guys will just walk in at any time. I mean ANY time."

"Oh," Will nodded. That was smart. Even if they weren't doing anything but talking, Will didn't want to be surprised by a curious roommate's unexpected visit. "So, is the entire house on the soccer team?"

"Yes...well, we were when we moved in last fall. Joel has been sick and unable to play, so he's the only one who is not."

"That must be hard for him." For Will, this was not a foreign concept. He often felt excluded - from his family, from the theatre clique, from others in his dorm - but until he met Sonny, he really hadn't desired the company of more than a piano and his music. Now he hated going hours without seeing or talking to or texting or emailing Sonny. He was whipped.

"I think at first it was really hard when we would go off to practice, and he couldn't go along. He was going through chemo treatments and he'd be hospitalized for days and weeks at a time when he was first diagnosed. But then he met Sarah, the love of his life, so he says. They actually met at one of his appointments and have been together ever since. So, I think he's okay with it now and sees it as meant to be. He's been doing well and just finished radiation, so he's waiting on bloodwork to see results."

"Wow, that's great Sonny. You must be happy about that."

"Yeah, it was hard to lose him from the team; he's my best friend. But we've gotten even closer since he's been off the team. He's someone I can talk to when I'm pissed at one of the other guys." Sonny smiled to himself thinking of his close relationship with Joel. He certainly helped him through some tough times. The breakup with Eddie was intense. Getting his first C in a class was even harder to get over, but Joel was always there. He was lucky to have a friend like that. It helped that Joel's older sister was married to another woman, so there was never any awkwardness about Sonny being gay. No judgement, just acceptance. Well, except when Sonny messed up and brought home someone he shouldn't. But that only happened a couple of times.

Will noticed Sonny was a little quiet. "Everything okay?"

Sonny nodded. "I'm just in a really good place right now. I'm happy." He met Will's eyes and held his gaze intently. "You make me happy, Will, and I'm glad we're going to have more time together once I graduate."

Will took a deep breath and clasped Sonny's hands in his own. "You make me happy too, Sonny. And I'm glad you brought up the summer, because I have something to tell you."

Sonny's heart started racing. "O-okay..."

Will squeezed Sonny's hands reassuringly. "Don't look so worried, Son," he steadied his boyfriend with his words.

"Alright, Will, it just makes me nervous when you say you need to tell me something. I just...well, things are so great with us and I don't want that to change."

"Sonny, nothing has changed about my feelings accept for the fact that they've grown and gotten stronger. Trust me, I don't want to go away."

"What do you mean go away?" Will pressed the worry lines from his forehead with a kiss and one placed tenderly on his lips.

"I've been offered an internship out in Massachusetts. It's 6 weeks with a couple renowned theatres on the Cape. Dr. Brinkmeyer just told me about it last week. I have to let him know by tomorrow if I want to do it."

Sonny didn't hesitate, "Will, of course you need to take it! What an incredible opportunity for you. Congratulations!" He kissed Will loudly. "Would you be gone this fall or next spring?"

"That's just it...the internship is for the summer. **This** summer. If I take it I'd be gone for six weeks in June and July." Will stared at their joined hands. He listened to the silence that fell upon them. All he could hear was his breathing and Sonny's, and muted random shouts and expletives from Sonny's other roommates.

"This summer, huh?" Sonny repeated softly.

"Yeah."

Sonny tipped Will's chin up so their eyes met once again. "Will, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. You know you have to do this."

Will could only nod. Sonny continued, "I take it you are worried about me - about us, right?"

"We've barely been together for a month, Sonny, and we made the decision to keep seeing each other because we'd have more time over the summer. But now if I do this, we won't have that time. I really like you and am afraid we'll lose touch or interest while I'm gone."

Sonny shrugged. "Okay, honestly Will, it makes me sad to think about you going away for 6 weeks, but I guess I feel like if we really care about each other, then we'll last. Plus it might be fun to fly out to see you when you have some time off. I hope I'm not being too presumptuous by inviting myself out to see you!"

Will cradled Sonny's face and pulled him in for an eager kiss. When Will went to back away, Sonny didn't let him and instead starting nipping at Will's lips with his teeth. Not able to suppress his excitement, Will moaned into Sonny's mouth and opened his lips to meet Sonny's tongue. Sonny wrapped his arms around Will's back and brought him in even closer, so their chests pressed together. Will moved his hands to the back of Sonny's head and tangled fingers in his thick hair. It was Sonny's turn to whimper, and Will loved when he made those sounds. There were few greater highs than hearing your hot-as-fuck boyfriend make sounds of pleasure at your touch. It rocked Will's world.

Sonny's hands moved to the hem of Will's shirt, creeped underneath and made their way boldly up his back to his shoulder blades. Sonny pressed himself against Will, causing Will to lay back on the pillows and armrest of the couch. "Jeez, Sonny, you feel so good. I love when you touch me," Will breathed out shakily.

"Your skin is amazing, Will. It's warm and so soft and I want to kiss you everywhere I touch."

Will brushed his lips against Sonny's neck. "I'd like that babe," Will whispered in reply causing Sonny to outwardly groan once again.

Sonny pulled his hands from the back of Will's shirt and started unbuttoning the front. Slowly, one button at a time, Sonny kissed his way down Will's chest. Will felt the fire burn in his belly everytime Sonny's lips met his skin. He was breathless and didn't want this ever to stop.

"Sonny! Dinner!" A loud voice jolted them quickly from their ministrations. They stared at each other before being able to speak. Then someone pounded hard on Sonny's door a couple of more times for emphasis. "Yo, Son! I know your boyfriend is in there with you, but it's time for dinner."

Sonny jumped up from the loveseat, and Will hurriedly buttoned up his shirt. "Marc," Sonny swung open the door to a man grinning from ear to ear. He seemed to rather enjoy the idea of this cock-blocking he managed without even trying. "I heard you the first five times about dinner being ready. Thank you for being so thorough," Sonny glared at his roommate.

"Oh sure, Sonny! Are you going to introduce me?" Marc pushed his way into Sonny's room and stood right in front of Will who was still seated.

"Kind of looks like I have to now, huh?" He rolled his eyes at Marc and mouthed to Will "I'm sorry."

Will stood right away. "Hi Marc, I'm Will. It's nice to meet you," Will stuck his hand out cordially.

"Well, the famous Will. So nice to meet you." Marc shook Will's hand and then turned to Sonny. "So are you both coming for dinner?"

"Actually, we're going to bring some food back to my room. It's bad enough that he had to meet you on his first visit to the house, so I think eating with all of you pigs might be a bit much."

"It's okay Sonny, we can eat with everyone." Secretly Will didn't want to share Sonny with anyone else right now, but he also realized that meeting and getting to know Sonny's friends was a required step in dating.

"No, Will, we still have more to talk about. I want to hear about this internship opportunity," Sonny smiled and grabbed Will's hand.

"Fine. Well, it was nice to meet you finally. You know I like to think that I'm somewhat responsible for you two getting together since it's because of me that Sonny tried out for your show." He patted Sonny on the shoulder firmly and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Thanks, Sonny. We could have eaten with everyone, you know."

"I want you to myself, Will. Especially now that I know we'll have 6 fewer weeks together over the summer." Sonny brought a hand to Will's cheek and brushed it lightly with the pad of his thumb. "I'll wait for you, Will. You're worth it."

Will placed his free hand over Sonny's and just held his gaze. "Thank you. You're worth it too, Sonny. And your support means the world to me."

"Well, you've got it, Will. You are really special, and I care about you a lot."

Will smiled widely and felt his whole body start to tingle. He remembered back to the "luv u like I do" text Sonny had sent earlier. Will was starting to feel like those words weren't too far from what he was feeling right now. "Yeah, and I'll be working some of the time in Provincetown, so that would be a great time for you to visit. I'd love to explore P-town with you."

"That sounds amazing. As soon as you know the dates for sure, I'll look into flights, okay? I don't think I can go a full 6 weeks without seeing you, so I'm happy you want me to come out there to see you." Sonny all of a sudden backed away and reached for the door. "I better get out there before all the food is gone. They are vultures. I'll be right back. Water okay for you to drink?"

"Perfect. Thanks," and Sonny shut the door behind him. Will made his way back to the couch and sank into it. Overall, he felt pretty good about meeting Joel and Marc. They certainly were no different than Will expected, especially Marc. Dinner with the whole group probably wouldn't have been so bad, but Will was grateful Sonny opted to bring food back for the two of them.

Will was thrilled to hear from Joel that Sonny was happier than he'd seen him in a long time. He felt the same exact way. He smiled a lot more, caught himself daydreaming all the time, and waited anxiously all day for nightly rehearsals so he could see Sonny for several hours. Will had crushes on guys before, but this was more than that. He had some serious feelings for this guy and was pretty sure Sonny felt the same way.

Marc seemed nice - maybe a little crude - but nice enough. He surely knew what was going on in the room when he banged on the door. Oh well. College roommates. He seemed cool about Sonny seeing Will, and that's what really mattered. Will suddenly remembered what Marc said as he left. He said something about being responsible for Sonny trying out for the show. Will wondered what that meant exactly. Maybe Sonny was nervous and Marc encouraged him. Will did recall a rowdy group of guys being at Sonny's audition. It's good he had his teammates' support.

Just then Sonny returned with a tray of food. He had two plates each filled with grilled chicken, potatoes and asparagus. He handed Will a plate and a bottle of water and sat down beside him. Without speaking they each dug into their food, balancing the plates on their laps.

"So..." Sonny let that hang in the air once they were almost finished with their food.

"So...dinner was good, if that's what you're asking."

"Well, I'm glad, but what I really want to know is what you thought of the house and my friends."

"Oh! Well, the house is cool. Your room is great; it's very neat. Did you do that to impress me or are you always this tidy?"

Sonny grinned sheepishly. "I guess I'm neat to a fault. That's why it's best I have a room to myself. I can't stand the way some of the guys keep their rooms. Stinky, piles of crap everywhere, food boxes, yuck. Not my style."

Will couldn't help but chuckle at Sonny's adorableness. "I'm glad you have your own room. It's really nice. And we can be alone."

"Umhmm. And I like being alone with you Will Horton." Sonny took Will's plate and set it along with his own on the tray on the floor.

"You do, huh?" Will wiggled his eyebrows and licked his lips in anticipation.

"God, I love when you do that," Sonny said breathlessly as he lunged at Will, kissing him wildly. Sonny could taste garlic on Will's breath from the potatoes, and he found that intoxicating. Sonny got so crazed that he knocked Will's glasses so they were crooked on his face. "Sorry!" he mumbled attempting to straighten them.

Will reached up and took his glasses off, setting them on the table next to the couch. "I don't need these to find your mouth." They kissed hungrily, each desperate for as much contact as possible. Will's hands dropped to Sonny's hips, and he pulled him close enough to feel the heat emanating from their mutual excitement. Will wanted more than anything to just shift his hand from Sonny's hip to the growing bulge in his jeans. How he wanted to feel his arousal, to know that Sonny was feeling as heated as he was, and to imagine what it would feel like to touch Sonny without so many clothes in the way.

Sonny finally pulled back, inhaling deeply trying to catch his breath. "I hate to say this, but we need to get going."

Will sighed and laid his head on Sonny's chest. Sonny snuggled him in close enough for Will to hear Sonny's heart beat. It was a little fast right now, and Will knew that his own heart was beating the same rhythm. Reluctantly, Will raised his head and gave Sonny a sexy, sweet smile. "Okay, fine. But maybe this weekend we can spend some more, ah, quality time together?"

"I'd love that Will." Sonny and Will shared a nice kiss before getting up off the couch. Grabbing his backpack, Sonny slung it over his shoulder and unlocked his bedroom door. "Let's go. I know you have your car, so we can both drive."

"No, that's ridiculous. I'll drive and then bring you back home after rehearsal. That way I get a little more time with you."

Sonny liked the sound of that. "Great, that would be great, Will."

They made their way out to Will's car and each settled in buckling seat belts before taking off. "So, your roommates seem nice. I like them."

"That's nice of you to say. Joel is great but Marc can kind of be an ass sometimes."

"Yeah, but he still seems cool."

"Yep. He has his moments." Will reached over to Sonny's lap and grabbed his hand. They rode like that just listening to the radio until Will broke the quiet. He had just remembered something Marc said as he left Sonny's room.

"Um, I wanted to ask you what Marc meant by saying that he was pretty much responsible for you trying out for the show?"

Sonny's heart caught in his throat, and he closed his eyes to think. He wondered if Will had heard that. Sonny hoped he wouldn't have to discuss the circumstances of his audition until the show was over. He and Will were in such a good place, and he didn't want to jeopardize that. So, how does he tell Will, whose life is the theatre, that his boyfriend only tried out for the show because he lost a bet? Sonny knew Will was an understanding guy, but he had no doubt that this information was not going to go over well. So, does he lie? Manipulate the truth a little so it doesn't sound so bad?

Sonny was at a crossroads. His stomach tightened, and he knew what he had to do. He took a big breath and started, "Well, Will, here's why I auditioned..."


	16. Chapter 16

Sonny was at a crossroads. His stomach tightened, and he knew what he had to do. He took a big breath and started, "Well, Will, here's why I auditioned…" he watched Will's face closely from the side, wanting to monitor his every reaction, "I auditioned because I wanted to. I went to the theatre, wrote my name down on the list, got myself on that stage, sang happy birthday and learned dance moves all of my own volition."

"But…" Will knew it was coming.

"But I wouldn't have even known that there was a spring musical and that there were open auditions until Marc told me."

"Okay, so you just told me that you auditioned because you wanted to and Marc was the one who let you know the specifics. That all seems cool. What am I missing?" Will still had his eyes on the road, and Sonny's eyes were on him.

"See Will, I sing in the showers all the time after practice and games. They guys always tell me to shut up saying 'this isn't American Idol' you know, to give me shit. I still do it because I love it. I just never did it anywhere besides my car and home and well, the locker room. Anyway, Marc and I had a bet riding on the outcome of a little one-on-one game between the two of us. If I won, Marc had to do laps and push-ups for the team for a month. If he won, I would have to audition for Guys and Dolls."

"Wait a minute; I thought you said you auditioned because you wanted to."

"That's the truth, Will, but I did have a little nudge from the guys to get me there in the first place." Sonny saw Will nodding his head while he contemplated Sonny's admission.

"What Marc did sounds like more than a _little nudge_, Sonny." Will's tone was slightly accusatory.

"Okay, so it was a **_big nudge_**. Fine. But I didn't have to audition…even though I lost the bet, I went there all on my own. I almost chickened out so many times, but I didn't because I realized that I wanted to try out." Will didn't say another word at first, but Sonny noticed Will's hands seemed to be gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter, causing his knuckles to turn a little white. Sonny started to get nervous.

They rode in silence for a couple minutes and soon they were back on campus. Will took the long drive around the back of campus to get to the theatre. Finally he spoke, "Let me ask you this, Sonny," Will was talking so quietly that Sonny had to strain to hear, "if you would have won the bet, would you have auditioned anyway?"

Sonny didn't want to answer. "Will, please…" he stammered reaching to take Will's hand.

"Just answer my question. Would you have auditioned if you had **won** the bet?" Will's voice was a bit more forceful this time.

"No, I don't think I would have," Sonny finally admitted reluctantly.

"I see."

More silence filled the car. There was so much that Sonny wanted to say. The conversation couldn't just end like that. Maybe he had been forced in a way to audition for the show, but now that he was in it, he was so glad he did. He was having the best time singing and acting, and he had met, as far as Sonny was concerned, the absolute perfect guy. So why did the truth sound so horrible? And why did Sonny suddenly feel like he was going to throw up?

"Will, say something please."

"I'm not sure I know what to say, Sonny."

"Are you angry with me?"

"I suppose I am. I struggled with you making the show at first because I felt like you just came in and stole the part from others who had been studying it for a while. But I got over that because you seemed to really be invested and genuinely felt badly when I told you about Clark. But knowing that being in this show was your consolation prize for losing a bet? Well, knowing that **has** to change things, Sonny."

Will pulled the car into the parking lot and turned to face Sonny. "It-it doesn't have to Will," Sonny felt desperate and guilty at the same time.

"I wish it didn't, Sonny, but it does in my mind. I think I need time to process it all."

"Okay, that's fine. Just remember how perfect our first date was and what a great time we just had at my house, having dinner and talking. I don't want to lose you over this, Will." Sonny placed both hands on either side of Will's face and pecked him softly on the lips. Then he unbuckled himself and got out of the car. Will didn't say anything, he just got out of the car and grabbed his pack from the back seat.

The two walked side by side up to the theatre entrance without saying a word. In the absence of their typical chatter, Sonny could hear his heart beating inside his chest. He felt so vulnerable, so anxious that he didn't even notice that Will had stopped walking a few feet back. Sonny halted immediately and looked Will directly in the eyes. He wasn't sure he wanted to see what was in those baby blues, but he knew he needed to. He needed the truth.

"Hey, we'll talk more when I take you home after rehearsal, okay?" Will gave a small, closed-lip smile, and Sonny felt just a slight wave of relief pass through his body. He let himself relax enough to smile back at Will.

"Okay, Will, we'll talk about it later."

* * *

Dr. Brinkmeyer walked into rehearsal still talking on his cell phone. It was 7:05pm and very unlike him to be late. He made his way to the front of the stage where everyone was congregated waiting for him.

"Good evening everyone, sorry I'm late. I just received news that Maddie was in a car accident on her way to rehearsal, so she will not be here tonight. She's fine," he assured everyone, "but she's sore and in need of rest. She should be well enough for rehearsal on Sunday."

The good news was that Maddie was okay. The bad news was that next week was the start of the show. They had a tech rehearsal on Wednesday, full dress rehearsal on Thursday and performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Even one night without her was a hardship. She was integral to practically every actor's storyline.

"So, we'll run some of the bigger numbers but then focus on scenes without Maddie. Will, do you want to go through Luck Be a Lady one more time before we try to do the show in order?"

"Sure, professor." Will stood and gestured to the group, "please take your places for Luck Be a Lady. Darren, I'll be Sarah to your Sky for this number." The cast started moving at what felt like a snail's pace. "C'mon let's move! We have a lot to do tonight."

Sonny got to where he needed to be stage left close to Anna. He glanced over at Will trying to get his attention, but Will didn't look his way. Even though Sonny knew it made sense for Will to fill in for Maddie, he did know all the blocking and lines after all, but Sonny still did not like the fact that Will would be partnering with Darren for most of the night. After their disagreement earlier, Sonny couldn't help but be afraid that Darren might just use this opportunity to try and get Will back. There was nothing he could do about it now; he had to believe what Will said about not wanting Darren anymore was the truth.

As the music started, Will turned in Sonny's direction hoping to make eye contact, but Sonny was already facing the other way towards Anna. He still didn't really know how he felt about what Sonny told him in the car. Should he be upset and offended that something that meant so very much to him was taken so casually that it became the penalty for losing a bet? Should he be hurt that Sonny never mentioned this before…that Marc had to bring it up? Should he be concerned that without the musical they may have never crossed paths? Maybe it was naïve to think that two **very** different people living in two **very** different college circles could make a relationship work.

Sonny tried to keep his concentration on the music. Even though he had picked up the dancing and acting pretty quickly, being on stage was still foreign to him and he sometimes got his directions confused. He needed to put all of his energy into doing his best because there was no way he could handle being called out tonight. He took a deep breath and refocused until the song was interrupted by a loud, "Hey!" coming from the other side of the stage.

Will and Darren were in the middle of a pretty heated discussion. They were now talking too low for anyone but those directly around them to hear. Will stopped the music and pulled Darren aside. Sonny watched as they stepped back behind the piano to continue their conversation. Sonny didn't like this one bit and had to fight the urge to interfere. All he wanted to do was protect Will, to keep him out of Darren's manipulative clutches. But Sonny knew that first and foremost, Will could handle himself, and secondly, that he was unsure enough of where their relationship stood to know that intruding would be inappropriate and not appreciated.

"What the hell was that for, Darren?" Will whispered coldly.

"You mean me stepping on you and giving you a playful shove?" Darren smirked.

"Yes, that."

"Will, you needed it. You are not focused and are a bit on the apathetic side. Our performance is next week. We need to be all in all the time and tonight you're not. So, I just gave you a wake-up call."

"By hurting me?"

"That I am sorry about. But I don't regret surprising you. Someone had to snap you out of it. So, whatever is going on between you and Sonny, it doesn't belong in rehearsal."

Will stood there for a moment looking at Darren crossly. The man was so arrogant; he thought he knew everything. And though it wasn't really his place to be berating Will, it did prove to be effective. Will realized he was letting personal issues interfere with his job as Student Director. Darren was right; performances started next week and they could not afford for Will to be distracted.

Will uncrossed his arms and studied Darren's features. He was very a good looking man, charming and extremely talented. Will knew why he always had trouble resisting him.

Suddenly, the strangest thing happened. Looking at Darren's green eyes and light hair, Will realized that he no longer harbored those kinds of feelings for him. To Will, Darren was attractive, but he was not attracted to him. He didn't feel drawn to him or actually ache being without him. It wasn't that way with Darren, but he realized with startling clarity that it _was_ that way with Sonny. He was attracted to everything about Sonny…to his dark, thick hair and deep brown eyes. To his laugh and the way his smile lit up an entire room. To his gentle touch and romantic tendencies. The way his body responded to Sonny's nearness with sensory overload, and he just couldn't get enough. All of a sudden Will knew that he didn't want to let the past get in their way.

Will was so happy he started laughing. Darren wasn't sure what exactly prompted that reaction from Will, but he took it as a positive sign and chuckled along with him. When Will settled himself, he reached over and gave Darren a brief hug. "Thank you."

Sonny watched the interaction even though he didn't want to. He tried to look away, but his eyes kept drifting back to Will. He could tell from Will's body language that he was angry. He doesn't often tense up his shoulders or clench his jaw. Sonny had a feeling Will was pissed and was going to let Darren have it. But then he watched as Will's face broke out into a grin, and he started laughing. Darren joined in and eventually Will embraced him. Now Sonny really couldn't tear his gaze away; he simply stood there frozen as Will held his ex-lover in his arms. Darren closed his eyes and smiled and looked disappointed when Will pulled back so soon. Sonny's heart hurt because he knew that he had lost Will.

Will walked back around to the front of the piano and then to center stage. "Okay, let's try this once again from the top."

The accompanist played the intro and Darren walked forward to sing: "They call you lady luck, but there is room for doubt. At times you have a very un-lady-like way of running out..."

* * *

Once rehearsal was over, everyone cleared out quickly. It was Friday night and many had plans for the rest of their evening. Will took his time gathering his things, and because he was Sonny's ride, it meant Sonny had to wait around too. Dr. Brinkmeyer grabbed his briefcase and stopped to say good night.

"Will, Sonny, have a good night and weekend. We'll see you Sunday." He turned to leave and paused, "Oh, and Will, congratulations on the internship. You deserve it."

"Thanks, Dr. Brinkmeyer," Will responded sincerely.

Dr. Brinkmeyer walked towards Sonny, who was sitting on the edge of the stairs to the stage, looking fairly sad and dejected. He whispered what he thought would be comforting words to him, "It'll be alright, Sonny. It's only 6 weeks." Dr. Brinkmeyer patted Sonny's arm and left the auditorium.

_Oh, but it's so much more than 6 weeks,_ Sonny thought to himself. Dr. Brinkmeyer and the whole cast will soon learn how badly he fucked things up with Will. They'll know soon enough that Will was back with Darren.

"Ready?" Will shook him from his pity party.

"Yep," Sonny answered simply.

"Good, because I am way ready to go. I'm exhausted."

As Will and Sonny walked to the car, they talked about rehearsal and how they couldn't believe the performances were next week already.

"Are your friends planning to come to the show?"

"I'm pretty sure Joel and Sarah are, and then Marc and Peter and some of the other guys might go, too."

"That'll be great for you to have supporters in the audience. Then they can see how good you really are." Will glanced over at Sonny hoping to catch his eye, but Sonny was staring at his feet as they walked.

"Um, yeah. How about you?" Sonny asked as he opened the passenger's side door and climbed in.

"Well, considering my best friends are in the show, I don't expect to have many fans in the audience. My brother and sisters would probably want to come, but my dad would never bring them."

"I'm sorry, Will."

"It's okay," he shrugged, "I'm used to it by now."

Sonny didn't know what to say. He wanted to offer words of comfort, to tell Will that he was extremely proud of him and that he was his biggest supporter. But Sonny thought Will might think he was trying too hard and didn't want to make this any more difficult than it already was.

"Will, I understand if you've changed your mind."

"Changed my mind about what?"

Sonny turned the radio volume down. "Changed your mind about us, about me. I understand why you want to see Darren again." He never imagined he'd hear himself say that to Will.

Will scrunched up his eyebrows and turned to look at Sonny. "I'm sorry…what?"

"I know, I made a huge mistake, and you and Darren were getting along so well tonight…"

They were just nearing the soccer fields, and Will suddenly pulled into the parking lot and stopped. He turned to look directly at Sonny. "You think that I want to see Darren again?"

Sonny forced his eyes up to meet Will's. "Yeah, and I understand. I fucked up, Will, and you're moving on."

"Sonny, I don't want to see Darren again. I have no interest in anyone but you."

Sonny was taken aback. "Y-you don't? But what about the fact that I only auditioned because I lost a bet? Don't you feel like I betrayed you?"

Will reached across the console to take Sonny's hands in his. "Not anymore."

"But you did once?"

"Yeah, when you first told me, I was livid. Something that I took so seriously, you and your friends took so lightly. But I had sort of an epiphany as I was talking to Darren tonight."

"O….kay….."

"Sonny, I realized that I have absolutely no feelings whatsoever for Darren anymore. Nothing. And I think I even took it further in that I admitted that I probably never had feelings for Darren in the first place. I wanted intimacy in all the wrong ways. I wanted sex with Darren, and then I wanted to let go and not think about him again. When I looked at him tonight when we were talking, I couldn't stop thinking about one thing."

"What was that?" Sonny whispered.

"You." Will steadied Sonny's chin so he was looking right at him. "Sonny, I realized that I care about you an awful lot and that I don't want this to end. I recognized that what happened with you and Marc was in the past and that it doesn't mean anything to us anymore. I don't want to be without you, Sonny."

Sonny started to feel his heart race and needed to make sure what he heard was right. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Will smiled making his dimples stand out and his eyes sparkle like when the sun hits the sea. "I guess that depends on what you think I'm saying."

"Are you saying you **don't** want to break up with me?"

"No, of course I don't want to break up with you! Why? Do you want to break up with me?" Will all of a sudden looked worried and let go of Sonny's chin.

Sonny just shook his head. "God no, Will! That's the last thing I want!"

"Good, me too."

"So, ah, you're not still interested in Darren?" Sonny had to ask.

"No. And the truth is that I haven't thought about Darren at all since you came along. Darren doesn't make me feel the way you do."

"How do I make you feel?" Sonny held Will's gaze intensely.

Will swallowed and answered slowly, "You make me feel special – like you are happy just being with me. You make me feel smart, talented, strong. You make me feel confident, and I believe in myself. You make me feel joy, and I can't stop smiling just from thinking about you. You make me feel attractive and wanted."

Sonny's breath hitched when he heard those words from him. Will had captured exactly the way Sonny felt about him. "Will, you are all those things to me and more. And you make me feel like I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. You make the impossible seem possible. You make me get this giddy grin on my face during class and practice just thinking about you. You make me feel like you know exactly what's in my heart. You make me dream of a future with you."

"That's the most wonderful thing anyone has ever said to me," Will said breathlessly, and he closed the distance between them. Will's lips sought Sonny's hungrily, and they each hummed into their kiss. Sonny brought his hands up to Will's face and Will moved his arms to encircle Sonny's waist. Their mouths softened and took on a lighter touch, brushing lips gently, attentively, making them each shudder with unimaginable pleasure. There was no hesitancy in this kiss; all the strife from earlier was long forgotten. It was just the two of them in the front seat of Will's car letting go of all insecurities and inhibitions. They let go of all doubt and fear. It felt liberating to just follow their hearts.

Once they broke apart, they stared at each other for what they felt was at least a half hour, memorizing each line and the softness of the other's face with their fingertips.

Sonny was the first to speak, "Come home with me tonight, Will?"

Will simply nodded and put the car in Drive.


	17. Chapter 17

Sonny was the first to speak, "Come home with me tonight, Will?"

Will just nodded and put the car in Drive.

As the couple headed back to Sonny's house, they both got lost in their own thoughts. Sonny was second-guessing his invitation - not because he didn't want Will to come home with him - but because he didn't want Will to feel _pressured_ into coming home with him. He hadn't planned this. Had he done the right thing? Or had he been too caught up in the moment to think about what this would truly mean for them? Sure, he had been wanting to spend the night with Will for a while, but what made him think that now was the right time? Or wasn't it?

Will had nothing with him but his backpack. He didn't have a change of clothes, or clean boxers, or even a toothbrush. Why was he so excited about Sonny's invite when clearly he hadn't thought through these other important details? Should he have made a pitstop at his own place first? No. Sonny's question was clearly spontaneous. As was Will's answer. He wanted Sonny to believe that he could go with the flow and be impulsive. But it was always easier to be that way in his head than in real life. In real life he craved a well thought-out plan and felt himself floundering now without one.

Sonny glanced over at Will, and at the same time, Will peered at him out of the corner of his eye. They both smiled instantaneously and most of their hesitation and doubt disappeared. Sonny reached over and casually brushed his fingertips against the short stubble at Will's hairline. Will let out a contented sigh and leaned back into Sonny's touch.

"Are you doing okay, Will?"

"I'm doing great, Sonny, why?"

"I just want to make sure that this is what you want."

"Yes!" Will said a bit too eagerly, "I mean yes, this is what I want. To be honest, I'm a little nervous, but I'm really happy that you asked me to come home with you," he admitted with a shy smile.

"Nervous? Why?" Sonny tried to sound nonchalant, but on the inside he was fighting a battle with his own nerves as well.

"Well, um for one, it'll be our first, you know, time together. Second, I really like you and don't want to mess anything up and last, well..." Will stopped his sentence abruptly, captured his bottom lip with his teeth and chewed distractedly.

"Will? Tell me?" Sonny prompted gently. "Will...please, we don't have to do anything, you know. I want you to be okay with this, so if you're not, just tell me. It won't change how I feel about you."

Will wondered if this guy could be any sweeter. "No, Sonny, I'm okay with this, with us, you know. It's just, well, you promise you won't think less of me if I tell you?"

"I promise," Sonny said without hesitation.

"Okay. Well, I've been with guys before, you know what I mean. But I've never been with someone that I really like."

A heavy silence settled over them, and all they could hear was the light rumble of the engine and the song playing on the radio. Will focused his attention on the road, not wanting to risk looking at Sonny. He immediately regretted his candidness, and he started scrambling to find a way to retract what he had said.

Then Sonny spoke into the darkness, "That really means a lot to me Will. Thank you for sharing that." Will just nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. Sonny moved his hand from Will's hair to his shoulder and let it rest there comfortably.

They travelled the remainder of the way not speaking, but this time it was a peaceful quiet, void of paranoia and the insecurities that plagued them both earlier.

"I take a left here, right?"

"Yep. If there isn't room on the street in the front, we can go around the corner."

As they turned, they were both surprised to see a variety of blue and red lights flashing right in front of Sonny's house.

"Sonny, is that ambulance and police car in front of your place?" Will sounded worried.

"Yeah, ah, I think they are. I wonder if something's happened?" Sonny sounded equally as worried.

Pulling up to the house right before Sonny's, Will found a spot on the street and parked. Sonny got out of the car, went to Will to help him out, and grabbed his hand. Sonny squeezed lightly and they headed towards his front door.

Peter met them out front. "Hey."

"Peter, man, what's going on?" Sonny demanded trying to look in the house.

"Um, it's Joel, Sonny, he fell down the stairs. He says he's fine, but they think he may have broken his arm, so they are taking him to the hospital to check him out."

Sonny looked at Will, his eyes wide with fear. Will spoke without hesitation, "Go Sonny, go check on Joel." Sonny gave Will a grateful smile and ran into the house.

"Hi, I'm Peter," Sonny's roommate suddenly stuck his hand out to Will.

"Uh, hi, I'm Will." He turned to officially meet the man beside him. Peter was far from the tall, lanky type Will typically thought of when he envisioned soccer players. In fact, Peter looked more like he should be on the wrestling team. He couldn't have been more than 5"7', he was broad shouldered and thick in the neck. Will shook Peter's hand and then they stood there awkwardly, neither knowing what to say.

Just then the paramedics rolled Joel out on a stretcher, with Sonny tagging along closely behind. "I'll see you there," Sonny gave Joel a quick wave.

"No, Sonny, you don't need to come to the hospital. Please, don't ruin your night for me. I'll be home before you know it."

"But how will you get home, since you won't have a car?" Sonny challenged.

"Call Sarah. She'll meet me there."

"I'll call Sarah, but I'm coming to the hospital, too."

Will saw Joel roll his eyes as they moved him down the driveway and into the back of the ambulance. Sonny stopped right next to Will and Peter and watched as they drove away.

"I'm sorry," sadness clearly present in Sonny's warm brown eyes as he looked at Will.

"Gosh, Sonny, don't apologize. I'm just glad we got here when we did. I'll be fine; you go to the hospital and be with your friend."

Sonny looked Will deeply in the eyes. "I know this is a lot to ask, Will, but would you come with me? I want to be there for Joel, but I still want to spend time with you, too."

"Are you sure? I feel like I'd be intruding," Will looked tentative.

"Yes, I am sure. Please?"

The troubled look on Sonny's face was all it took for Will to acquiesce. How could Will say no to that gorgeous man? "Okay, I'll drive."

Sonny closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Thank you, Will, so much." He grabbed Will's hand once again, and they walked back to the car.

Will turned around briefly, "It was nice to meet you, Peter," he called from the sidewalk, "considering the circumstances."

"Yeah, you too Will. I'm sure I'll see you around," and Peter headed back into the house.

* * *

The music in the waiting room was surprisingly contemporary; not the muzak you tend to hear in most elevators and doctor's offices. Sonny unconsciously tapped his foot to the beat. He hadn't been able to sit still since they arrived at the hospital. Will held his hand, trying to share calming energy with him, but so far it wasn't working.

"Son, I'm sure it's just a broken arm. Did he mention how he fell?"

"No, he didn't say. I should've asked," Sonny said solemnly.

"No," Will squeezed his hand tighter, "you just wanted to make sure he was okay."

"Sonny?" a loud cry came from the doorway of the waiting room, and a woman rushed right to him. Sonny held his arms out and embraced her. Sarah pulled away from Sonny and looked right at Will.

"Will," she said sincerely, "I'm Sarah. It is so good to finally meet you. Sorry it's not under better circumstances." Her blue eyes were warm and gentle as she held one of Will's hands in both of hers.

"Hi, I'm Will, but you know that already." He gently held her hands until she let go. "It's nice to meet you, too, Sarah."

"So, how is he?" she asked turning her attention back to Sonny.

"Not sure," Sonny answered honestly. "They haven't told me anything. Maybe you'll have more luck getting answers."

She walked to the information desk and started making inquiries. After about 5 minutes, she returned to where they were sitting, which was about midway between the flat screen TV and the children's play area.

"Okay, well, a couple of us can go back and see him. It sounds like they are keeping him overnight for observation."

"Will, do you want to go back with me?"

"No, Sonny, you and Sarah go. He needs his girlfriend and best friend right now. I'll just stay here and wait for you."

Sonny nodded and mouthed, "thank you," to Will and then asked, "you're not going to leave are you?"

"Nope. I'm here for the duration. Go you two, see him, I'm sure he will love to see you both." Sonny kissed Will lightly on the cheek before escorting Sarah through the alarmed emergency room doors to see Joel.

About a half hour later, Sonny returned to Will who was fighting to stay awake despite the constant flurry of activity. He sat down gently next to Will. "Hey baby?"Sonny whispered, taking Will's hand in his.

"Hey you," Will met Sonny's tired eyes, "how are you? How is Joel?"

"Let's go, and I'll tell you on the way home."

"Sarah's giving him a ride then?"

"Um, they aren't letting him go home tonight. They are keeping him until at least tomorrow, so they can do a full body scan. Sarah's going to stay with him though." Sonny saw Will raise his eyebrows in question. "C'mon, I've kept you out late enough already. I'll tell you more in the car."

That was more than fine by Will. He was exhausted from the whole evening. He couldn't believe that less than 6 hours ago, he and Sonny were having a relaxing dinner in his room before rehearsal. It was hard comprehending that this all took place over the course of one night. One short but terribly long night.

Sonny got to the driver's side and asked Will for the keys. "You don't have to drive, Sonny. I'm fine, and I don't mind."

But Sonny wouldn't let him, "no, Will, you were almost asleep back there, so I'm driving." Will didn't have the energy to argue and handed the keys over to him.

Sonny started the car, adjusted the seat and mirrors and headed out of the ER's parking lot. Will wanted to ask about Joel, but before he could, Sonny started to tell him.

"Well, apparently there is a spot on Joel's pelvis. He's been clear for the last 6 months, so we all assumed everything was going well, that he was maybe even in remission. But as of tonight, the doctor no longer thinks that," Sonny's voice cracked a little.

"Okay. Did the doctor say anything else?"

"Yes she did. What they suspect is that the mass in Joel's pelvis got big enough that it started to crack bone. Whenever he would walk lately, he seemed to be in pain and moved with a slight limp, but he always just brushed it off. Well, it seems that while they were focusing on how the cancer in his ribs seemed to have stopped progressing, this new tumor was growing at a rapid pace. Tonight when Joel went to run down the stairs, he just couldn't support himself and collapsed. He landed on his arm, which they confirmed is broken."

"Sonny, I'm so sorry," Will didn't know what else to say.

"I know, Will, thanks. I just don't know what to do. Should I notify his parents? Do I need to let professors know that he won't be in class for a while? I'm just..." a choked sob escaped Sonny's lips and tears started falling down his cheeks.

"Pull over, Sonny," Will demanded and Sonny obeyed. Will immediately unbuckled them both and took Sonny into his arms. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry about Joel. This must be so hard for you," he moved his hand to Sonny's head and pressed him even closer. Sonny buried his face in Will's shoulder, and they stayed like that until Sonny's breathing became normal again.

"Can you drive the rest of the way home?" Will asked when they finally separated.

"Yes, thanks, Will." He kept his hand on Sonny's leg for the rest of the ride. Will wanted him to know that he was there for him; he wanted to provide comfort and support the best he could. Soon Sonny moved a hand from the steering wheel to rest on top of Will's.

The scene as they approached Sonny's house was quite different from what they had observed last time they turned that corner. There were no flashing lights, no multitude of cars parked on the street and haphazardly in the driveway. Everything was quiet, and the house was very still.

Sonny kept the car running and looked over at Will. "I cannot thank you enough for staying with me at the hospital. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"You would have been just fine, Sonny, but I'm glad you trusted me enough to let me go along."

Sonny leaned over and gave Will a soft peck on the lips. "I'm so sorry that this night didn't go as planned. I was really looking forward to spending the night with you." Sonny closed his eyes and shook his head as if by doing that he could transport them back in time before his best friend fell and was rushed to the ER.

"Was? You're not looking forward to it anymore?"

"Will, I know you're probably a bit overwhelmed and anxious to get home."

"You have the overwhelmed part right," Will said and reached for Sonny's hands, "but I still intend to spend the night with you, if you still want that."

"I-I do, Will, but..."

"Sonny, don't worry. I am happy to just cuddle and hold you until you fall asleep. Will you let me do that, please?" Sonny could only nod and grip Will's hands tighter.

After a few minutes of sitting together in silence, Sonny turned off the car and handed Will his keys. They both got out and walked hand in hand, just like they had done several hours ago. Sonny unlocked the front door, and he and Will went directly to his room.

Once they were in, Sonny went to his dresser and pulled out an extra pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Without any shyness, they both undressed to their boxers and then put on their bed clothes.

"Do you need to use the bathroom? Brush your teeth or anything Will?" Even though that was a normal part of Will's nightly routine, he didn't want to leave Sonny even for just a minute. He quietly shook his head and lowered the covers on Sonny's bed. He climbed in, laid on his side and reached for Sonny. Sonny turned off the overhead light and got into bed right next to Will. They were facing each other, and Will had his hand on Sonny's arm, softly caressing and soothing.

"You okay, Sonny? Are you going to be able to sleep?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm exhausted, but my mind is racing at the same time."

"I can imagine."

"I'm so sorry this wasn't the romantic night I had planned when I asked you to come home with me," Sonny apologized sadly.

Will held Sonny's gaze intently. "I know this is going to sound corny, but I enjoy every moment I get to spend with you Sonny. Granted, when I envisioned myself in your bed earlier I had fewer clothes on," he stopped to smile at Sonny, "but I am so happy I was here for you. It'll happen for us. Don't worry. Tonight just wasn't the right time."

"You're wonderful, you know that Will?" Sonny smiled back at the beautiful blonde laying next to him in his bed.

"I know," Will said proudly. They both laughed. It felt good to ease the tension of the last few hours.

"You still have your glasses on."

"Oh yeah, would you set them on the night stand for me?"

"Of course," Sonny replied taking WIll's glasses from him. Before rolling over to put them on the table, Sonny leaned forward and brushed his lips tenderly against Will's. Will responded, and they kissed like that, languidly, without any urgency. When the kiss was over, Will brought his lips to Sonny's eyes, each of his cheeks, his nose and once more to his mouth. They both hummed with contented pleasure and laid there for a moment, eyes closed, enjoying each other.

Will opened his eyes first and ran the pad of this thumb across Sonny's cheek. Sonny's eyes fluttered open; he stared at Will for just a second before rolling over and setting Will's glasses on his night stand table next to their cell phones. Sonny snuggled back into his boyfriend, and Will's arm immediately wrapped around his waist. They fit perfectly together; Sonny's back tucked into Will's chest, their hips and legs molded into the other's like a second skin. Will nestled his head on the other side of Sonny's pillow and gave him one last kiss on the neck.

"Goodnight, Sonny," Will yawned and let his eyes fall closed.

"Goodnight, Will," Sonny smiled to himself and covered the arm Will had around him with his own. He took a moment to say a quick prayer for Joel before he let himself drift off to sleep.


End file.
